Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I was always a normal person. Normal as normal could be. Two childhood friends. A house that I’ve lived in for as long as I could remember. A good school that I could do better in. I was a completely average kid living in New York City. That all changed, for better or for worse.

“Elliot! Wake up, you have a field trip today, remember? I’ll drive you to school, if you hurry.” Dad called from downstairs. I sat right up in bed. Today was the day. I got to go to Oscorp, one of the biggest tech companies in the world. I jumped out of bed. I rushed downstairs, only to run over my younger sister, Heather.

“Watch out, Elliot,” Heather yelled, “you might mess up my makeup. I haven’t applied the setting spray yet so back off.”

“All right, all right. Just calm down. I’ll steer clear of your face,” I assured.

“Thanks,” she said before marching down the hall. Despite my sister’s sour mood, I was still bouncing up and down. The excitement of the day was all that was carrying me until I had a cup of coffee and a bagel sandwich. After breakfast, I ran upstairs to get dressed. White dress shirt, black knee length skirt, white legging, and a gray sweater. Comfy and in dress code. I brushed my teeth and hair, before announcing that I was ready to go. The only issue was no one else was ready. Dad and Heather were still scrambling around trying to get ready. 

Surprisingly, we didn’t leave late. Even though Heather had to apply another layer of mascara, I left my phone. We managed to make it out in time. As we were driving, I watched the jungle of New York grow thicker as we approached my school. Dad pulled into the shorter car pool line, but still complained about the cars and traffic. Once we got to the drop off point, I saw my friends, Peter and Skylar. 

Skylar was by far the prettiest girl in school. Her wavy, black hair was always pulled into a high ponytail, and her smile was almost always present. Her uniform had clearly been altered in a way to push the limits of the dress code. Her white dress shirt was tied to nearly reveal her midriff. The skirt was pulled up just above the knees, so when she moved you could see her leggings weren’t leggings but thigh high socks. Her school jacket was tied around her waist in a way that highlighted her curves. Somehow the prettiest girl in school was friends with the biggest nerds in school. That was Peter and me.

Peter was your average pre-pubescent boy. Scrawny build, only about 5’5’. His ever messy, brunette hair was being tugged at in a nervous fashion. His uniform very clearly showed he was ready for today’s trip. Clean pressed pants and jacket and a fully buttoned white dress shirt, collar folded. As his green eyes scanned the crowd for me, his thick black framed glasses slid down his nose. 

“Thanks for dropping me off, Dad,” I said, before opening the car door.

“No problem, bug. Have fun on your field trip.” he called from inside the car. I nodded and waved him away, as more cars came up to drop off their kids. I pushed my dark brown hair out of my face to try and find Peter and Skylar in the crowd.

“Elliot! This way,” a voice boomed above the rest. Skylar waved her arms around like she was trying to land a plane. Peter gave his own small wave. 

“You are so loud,” I commented, once I got over to where they were. 

“Of course,” Skylar agreed, “how else would I get your attention?”

“Text? Call? Wave?” I offered.

“Lame. Anyway, let’s find a place to sit,” Skylar said. She led us to a bench near the entrance of the school. Most of the people in the area were already in their social groups, chatting about the field trip. When we passed by the sport boys whistles and jeers erupted from the group. 

“Nice skirt, Skylar, but it would look better on the floor,” one of them laughed.

“You sure you don’t want to give us a little dance? I have $5,” another hollered.

“Please, I have standards, boys. As well, Anders, I’m not a stripper, unlike your buddy, Brock. So go throw your money at him.” Skylar countered.

“Why you little b-” Anders started before a teacher came up.

“Is there a problem Mr. Millers?” the teacher asked, very clearly knowing there was an issue. 

“Not at all,” Anders lied.

“Well just remember school policies about language and harassment,” the teacher reminded him.

“Yes, teacher.” Anders nodded, acting like he fully understood. The teacher sent a small look of approval towards Skylar and left. Anders glared at Skylar, but he turned around to talk to his buddies. We finished our stroll to the empty bench by the entrance. 

“That was stressful,” Peter wheezed. 

“He wouldn’t have done anything even if the teacher hadn’t shown up,” I assured.

“I wasn’t worried about what he would do. I was worried about how Skylar would react. You know she’ll end up putting someone in the hospital if they piss her off enough.” Peter said.

“Damn straight. I was close to punching Anders in his ugly mug.” Skylar growled. 

“Well I would advise against violence because if you get into a fight today, you won’t be able to go to Oscorp,” I said, amused. 

“Anders got lucky today,” Skylar said, “because I love science and would never throw away a chance to visit Oscorp.”

“He sure did. Now, what did you guys think of the new version of  the game?” Peter asked. We started to geek out over video games, until the teachers shouted, “All sophomores into the auditorium!” 

We  all shuffled into the auditorium still chatting about the new release. Peter picked a row close to the front. Skylar complained but sat down anyway. She tried to pick up the conversation about the game, but Peter shushed her.

“We have to pay attention to the speaker,” he warned, “or they could get us in trouble.”

“Whatever,” Skylar said, as she pulled out her phone. Peter gave her an annoyed huff. I smiled, but it was lost in the dim light. A teacher walked up on stage and began speaking about field trip policies. Normally, I would listen with attention, but this teacher was the most boring teacher in the world. He spoke in a monotone voice, never lifting his voice above the rasp it was. The stillness in his voice lulled me into a light sleep. I heard everything, but my brain didn’t find it important enough to translate it into real words.

“Elliot! You fell asleep during the assembly!” someone loudly whispered to me. I cracked open my eyes to see my concerned friend, Peter. He fidgeted with his ever messy hair.

“You're going to get in trouble one of these days,” he fretted.

“Leave them alone, ya worry wart. Everyone one needs their beauty sleep, but you might want to stop sleeping so much, otherwise the guys will be catcalling you instead.” Skylar joked, as she placed an elbow on Peter’s shoulder. I tried to wake up as Peter shoved her off and tried to argue. She laughed, her ponytail shaking up and down. 

“Everyone on the bus. We don’t have all day!” a teacher called from the exit. 

“Come on,” Peter nagged, “We don’t want to get in trouble,”

“Calm down, calm down. We’re coming,” Skylar said, “You are coming aren’t you?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I smiled. We loaded onto the bus and set off for the world renowned company, Oscorp. I didn’t talk much. I just watched the wonders of New York roll past and listen to the gossip that ricocheted around the bus. 

“I can’t believe we are going to Oscorp!”

“It’s just pandering to that new student.”

“You didn’t hear how Harry freaking Osborn transferred to our school?”

“I heard he will be leading one of the tour groups.”

“Someone said that he is one of the crime fighting vigilantes in Hell’s Kitchen.”

“I heard at his last school he got kicked out for setting off a bomb.”

“No way! I heard the charges wouldn’t stick, so his dad found the next best school.”

“I heard he got to meet Iron-Man and Captain America.”

“I wonder how he got away with it.”

“I heard he is unbelievably handsome.”

“I just want to see how much money he has.”

We finally pulled up to an impossibly tall glass skyscraper. On the side in giant letters read “Oscorp”. As the bus unloaded I couldn’t close my jaw. 

“Pretty cool isn’t it?” a boy asked from beside me. Cool was an understatement. The yard in front of the building was immaculate. The bushes were trimmed to look like spirals. Beside them bloomed flowers that matched the blue hue of the glass perfectly. Fountains with statues of impressive people of history dotted the courtyard. The building’s glass itself looked perfectly clean, but I couldn’t see into the building, almost like wax paper was inside the glass. 

“Cool wouldn’t begin to describe it, and this isn’t even where the impressive stuff is,” I told him, “Wait. I don’t know you, I'm Elliot. Elliot Elrod.”

“So Elliot, you like science?” he asked.

“Of course. Science is all about finding answers. An answer I’d like to find out right now is your name.” I replied.

Oh yeah, I’m-” he started before getting interrupted. 

“Come on! Get your IDs and go into the building. Single file.” one of the teachers yelled.

“I’ve got to go. See you later.” the mysterious boy said. I waved him bye. 

“Come on,” Skylar pressured, “I can’t wait to see all the interesting engineering stuff they are working on!” 

“I can’t wait to see what type of technology stuff they're working on! I heard something about nanobots that can heal people with incredible speed.” Peter said. We were all practically vibrating with joy as we got our visitor IDs to go in. Then the teachers told us we had assigned partners. Groans went up from everyone.

“Maybe we’ll all be in the same group?” Peter said, hopefully.

“The groups will be pairs.” the teacher told us. More groans echoed across the brightly lit lounge.

“Skylar Schultz and Patricia Eines.” 

“Fat chance.” Skylar said before leaving.

I took in the beauty of the lounge as more and more names were being called. Unlike the glass outside, this side of the glass had a crystal clear view into the garden outside. The floor was black marble flecked with silver sparkles. The empty armchairs were unbroken, black leather with glass tables that held the latest science magazines.

“Hey.” a voice said from beside me. I snapped back to reality and looked at them.

“Oh it’s you mystery boy. What’s up?” I asked.

“Well you didn’t seem to have anyone to keep you company, so I thought I would.” he answered.

“I don’t know how good company you’ll be if I don’t know your name.” I teased.

“Oh well my name is-” 

“Harrison Osborn and Elizabeth Elrod.” a teacher called. Whispers shot up all at once and heads began turning trying to find the fabled Osborn.

“Looks like I’ll have to ditch you for another mystery boy.” I said, slightly disappointed.

“That’s not quite the case because-”

“There he is,” a student called out, “it looks like he already matched up with his partner.” 

“Wait,” I stuttered, “are you-”

“I’m Harry Osborn. I’m glad to finally get to finish that sentence and to meet you.” he replied, cheeky.

Chapter Text

“I’m Harry Osborn. I’m glad to finally get to finish that sentence and to meet you.” he replied, cheeky. I stared at him with disbelief.

“Well, good to know all that build-up to your name wasn’t for nothing.” I said I was still unable to fully process the information. He was Harry freaking Osborn! His dad owned a multi-billion dollar company. He was an acclaimed genius. He got to meet with fancy people and talk with important figures, but he approached me on a school field trip to see how I was doing. Most importantly, he had full access to all the new and cutting-edge tech in Oscorp.

“We will divide you all up into four major groups. Each group will get to explore a wing of the building before transitioning to the next. You will be able to explore on your own, but you must have your partner with you. Do not touch anything unless an employee says you can touch it.” the teachers explained. 

“Let’s go, partner.” Harry invited. Our group was able to explore the genetics wing first, and I was nearly bursting at the seams with joy. 

“Oh my goodness! Look at all this equipment. It’s all bleeding-edge tech and so refined. Is that the latest model? That must have had quite the price tag. Oooooo is that a Crispr programming station? I am so excited I could die, right now!” I rambled to myself.

“Wow, you must really enjoy science.” Harry laughed.

“Well,” I said, a little sheepishly, “genetics are a passion of mine. They are how everything works and how everything lives. Without them we’re nothing but bits of matter, yet with them we became the dominant species of the planet. Once we fully understand how to alter genetics, the human race will be unstoppable.”

“I couldn't have said it better, it better myself.” said a proper voice from behind me. I turned around to see Norman Osborn. Norman Osborn.

“As this young lady has perfectly said, genetics hold the keys to the future. Why someday the average human may be able to lift a bus without breaking a sweat or heal from a broken arm in an hour. Genetics are the future especially with passionate people, such as this young lady here, leading the charge.” Mr. Osborn told the class.

“What’s your name miss?” Dr. Osborn asked.

“Me? I’m Elliot Elrod, sir.” I answered timidly.

“Well, Miss Elrod, I hope to see an application, once you finish college.” Dr. Osborn said

 “Ah, my son, Harry. I hope you show your partner around the facility,” under his breath he added, “and some of the more secretive projects.”

“All right, students, I must be off. Please explore and ask questions. You are our future after all.” he said before leaving. All at once chatter broke out amongst the room. 

“Can I breathe now?” I asked no one in particular. 

“I think the coast is clear.” Harry assured.

“Oh my goodness! Norman Osborn just said he wanted to hire me and all because I’m a nerd. Catch me I think I’m about to faint.” I squealed.

“You are aware this company is made for nerds right?” Harry asked.

“Let me have my moment.” I shushed. He laughed and steered me towards an impressive looking machine.

“If you think that’s cool, check this out.” he said. 

Harry and I explored the genetic wing for about 45 more minutes. Well, as such as we could with all the people smooching up to Harry. They would compliment his looks or his knowledge of a microscope. They were very clearly just trying to get into the rich boy’s pocket, but occasionally someone would ask a legitimate question about science. Eventually Harry pulled me to the side where no one could see us.

“Hey, I want to show you something super cool.” he whispered.

“If it’s anything like it is in the anime, I don’t want to see it.” I told him flatly.

“What?” he blushed.

“Well, you kind of have me pegged against the wall here, senpai. Also you’re so close I can smell your cologne, so if you could back up a little, senpai, I would appreciate it.” I joked. He backed up a little.

“I’m not your senpai. We are in the same grade.” he muttered, covering his mouth with his hand, probably still blushing. 

“Really? I thought you were a junior. Anyway, what did you want to show me?” I asked curiously.

“There is this sort of a secretive project that my dad has been working on that I think would interest you. It’s all about genetics and what not. I can’t really show you the data because I don’t have access to it, though. On the bright side you’ll be able to see the results.” he said.

“Really? That would be cool! A passion project of Norman Osborn’s? I would be delighted.” I squealed.

“Right this way then.” he cheerfully said. We navigated our way to the other side of the room.  Once we got to the door, Harry swiped his ID in front of the card reader. It blinked green with a small click. He pulled open the door for me and waved for me to go through.

“Wait, someone has been following us around since we went into the corner. You distract them and slip in when no one is looking. I’ll go in now and marvel at the cool things I know nothing about.” I said. 

“You’re right someone is following us. I really shouldn’t let you in there. Ah whatever, just promise not to touch anything.” he warned.

“I don’t have a death wish so deal.” I agreed.

I slipped into the lab that looked like a smaller version of the first. It’s walls were filled with vials of undeterminable liquids and neat stacks of paper. In the center of the room was a hollow-screen that had a lot of flashing red “X”s over top of a bunch of complex research. What sat on the center of the table is what shocked me the most. In a cage a dead mouse was sprawled, but that wasn’t all that it was. It’s limbs were stuck up right as if it died in agony. Even it’s limbs were disfigured and scaly, as if it was half-reptile. A garish, red liquid dribbled from its head, but it seemed mixed with a silvery blue liquid, making the floor of the cage a violently made artwork. I inched around the table that held the dead mouse, towards the live ones at the other side of the room. They all were as disfigured as the other mouse. Their bodies were patterned with scales and their eyes had taken on a more feral look. 

“They are a sight aren’t they?”

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I had just been discovered in the personal laboratory of Norman Osborn! Frek. The person who discovered me was...

Chapter Text

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I had just been discovered in the personal laboratory of Norman Osborn! Frek. The person who discovered me was...

Harry.

“Jeez, you nearly scared me to death,” I scolded.

“Sorry, it’s just they look super weird don’t they?” he said.

“Yeah I wonder what they're doing to the animals,” I wondered, “Is it altering their genes closer to that of a reptile? If so, how? Some of these don’t seem to resemble a reptile. They are far and few but they look closer to an insect of some sort. Anyway, are they using Crispr to alter the animals’ DNA? It doesn’t seem to be working out that well, by the looks of things. Or are they-”

“They are wondering how two unsupervised children got into a secure laboratory with sensitive and private information.” a stern voice said from behind us. This time both Harry and I jumped. I whirled around to see a frowning man with a missing arm. His eyes were bloodshot with heavy bags under them. His lab coat was wrinkled and his sandy blonde hair was unkempt. Clearly, he had pulled an all nighter trying new versions of the project.

“Dr. Connors, I’m sorry we came in here. It was all my idea.” Harry apologized.

“Wait, you’re Dr. Curt Connors? The man who published the article discussing the future of medi-care and limb replacement?” I quickly asked.

“Yes, and you are?” he asked, dubiously.

“Me? I’m nobody, but ah- I’ve read a lot of your work. I mean, your work on discovering the cure for Covid-19 was invaluable, and the way you predict the future of genetic achievements, inspiring. You have furthered Crisper more than anyone, and I assume you are still making improvements considering all the test subjects still alive behind me. You are one of the reasons I want to become a genetics specialist.” I rambled.

“Ah I get it. You’re a fan of mine, and you convinced the young Mr. Osborn here, to introduce you to me.” he said unimpressed.

“Actually, I hoped you wouldn’t be here while we looked,” Harry said sheepishly, “I just kind of want to show Elliot some of the cooler projects here at Oscorp. Plus Elliot really likes genetic stuff, so I figure this lab was perfect.” 

“Well next time you want to impress a girl, don’t visit an active laboratory.” Dr. Connors told. 

“I-I wasn’t- this wasn’t a- how do you mean?” Harry stuttered.

“Anyway,” Dr. Connors said, changing the topic, “you two need to leave now. This experiment must not get out, so you must tell anyone what you saw here. Second, I need to do more tests because clearly they have been unsuccessful. And finally, you two have not interacted with any of the test materials or subjects have you? Those could be detrimental to your health and safety.” We shook our heads no. The doctor then led us out of the lab just as our class was leaving. 

“I mean it,” Dr. Connors warned, “tell no one what you saw, got it?”

“Yes, Dr. Connors. I just have one request myself, though. Please don’t tell my father about this. He doesn’t need to know, does he?” Harry pleaded.

“Fine, plus it means less paperwork for me.” Dr. Connors agreed. Harry smiled at him and ran off towards the group. 

“Um, I’m sorry for disturbing your experiment, doctor,” I apologized, “As well, maybe if you slowly introduced the substance to the test subject over time, the results wouldn’t be so sudden and-ah- horrific? It’s just a thought. So yeah. It was nice meeting you.” I dashed out my face practically on fire. 

Just before I left I heard him mutter, “Slow induction of the serum might work, and it would certainly lead to fewer losses.” 

“What are you so happy about?” Harry asked as we walked towards the elevators to the next floor. 

“It’s-ah it’s nothing,” I stuttered, “Well maybe it’s something. You see I-ouch! What was that?” A sharp pain started coming from the back of my neck. I slapped my hand on the pain.

“Ew, it’s a bug. Maybe a spider. Nasty things, I positively hate them.” I shuddered. I dropped the corpse into a trash can and kept walking.

“You okay? Spider bites can be pretty painful,” Harry worried. 

“It’s fine I’ve been bitten by my fair share of garden spiders.” I said. Even though I said that pain radiated from the bite down my spine and seemed to close around my brain.

“Just peachy,” I assured, “Anyway, let’s hurry up. I may be a biology nerd, but I love computer science as much as the next nerd!”

We went through each wing of scientific wonders all too fast. We all stared at the amazing projects that were presented for us, and theorized about the ones we couldn’t see. As the day went on my head became heavier and heavier. I felt the pull of sleep growing stronger than usual by the end of the trip. Maybe that’s why I sat down with Harry instead of meeting up with my friends. 

“Hey, I’m feeling really tired, so if I fall asleep and like, lean on your shoulder or something, just prop me up on the window.” I told Harry.

“Why, is my cologne that bad?” he joked.

“No it’s actually really nice. I don't want people thinking we’re a couple. I have enough of an issue with my social life as is.” I muttered, as sleep began to eat up my brain.

“You think I smell good?” he blushed.

“Yeah, you smell like professional working people and new paper. I like new paper smells. Like a new book with a mug of coffee,” I rambled as sleep took over.

“Elliot? Are you asleep?” Harry asked. I wasn’t fully, but my body wouldn’t respond to my attempts to move or speak. My body slumped sideways, right on to Harry’s shoulder. His shirt was cool, like a lemonade in summer. Why was my face so hot?

“Jeez, Elliot. It almost feels like you’re running a fever. I would get up and get a teacher, but then you would lose your headrest so I’m stuck.” he said sarcastically with worry laced in his voice.

“No tea..cher” I said.

“I think you might need one though.” he fretted

“You...r su...ch a wo...rr...ier,” I managed before the lead of sleep pulled me down again.

“Maybe I am, but only for the right people,” he said sincerely.

“Ha y...ou say th..at like we...re lov...ers,” I weakly laughed.

“Yeah, no it’s nothing, just go to sleep,” he quickly said.

“Bu...t sho...uld..er,” I stuttered, unable to form much else.

“No one is looking, besides I’m fine with this. Are you fine with this?” he asked tenderly.

“Comf...y yo...ou, com..fy me,” I said softly.

“Comfy it is then,” he said right before I slid off into dreamland. I fully remember what I dreamt about, but it involved too many spiders and a lot of heights. I stirred awake as the bus came to a stop in front of the school. 

“Hey, I was just about to wake you up.” Harry said.

“Hm?” I asked, still clinging to sleep.

“We were stuck in traffic for a while, but hey, that’s New York. We are back at school now. You slept like a rock for an hour and a half. You really were comfy, weren’t you?” he laughed.

“I guess but now I’m just hungry and thirsty.” I said in a horace voice.

“Yeah you sound like it. What do you say to me about buying you a snack from the vending machines and a water bottle?” he offered.   

“I say that I have water and money, but I can join you at the vending machines before my dad picks me up.” I replied, gaining back some of my wit. 

“Sounds like a plan. I’ll go to my homeroom to pick up my backpack and meet you there.” he smiled. I waved him off as I headed off to the vending machines. Before I could make it in the building, two people blocked my path. 

“Were you just with who I think you were with?” Skylar pestered.

“Depends on who you think I was with.” I answered calmly. 

“I think you were with Harry Osborn,” Skylar angrily said, “and I also think I saw you two cuddling on the bus. Cuddling, Elliot? Really? Could you be any more obvious?”

“We weren’t cuddling,” I snapped, “I fell asleep and fell on his shoulder. I’m just really tired today. I’ll tell you guys more about it later because I see your dads, Skylar. Peter I can see Uncle Ben’s car up the road, so you’ll be leaving soon too.” 

“How can you see that far ahead? I didn’t notice him earlier.” Peter questioned.

“I don’t know. I’m wearing my contacts, so maybe that's it. So bye now.” I said, before turning around to walk off. Skylar left to go join her dads at the car, but Peter grabbed my sleeve.

“Wait, Elliot. Look, Skylar is just worried you’ll attract the wrong kind of attention. Plus, if you develop feelings for someone who doesn’t accept you being non-binary… you could get hurt. Like last time. Skylar is being rude about it, but she’s just worried. Honestly I am too. We can talk about it more later, Uncle Ben is here. Bye, Elliot. Stay safe.” Peter said nervously. He ran off to hop into his Uncle Ben’s car. I sighed a frustrated sigh. Why did he have to bring her up? Plus, Harry was just a friend. He wasn’t even my type! I didn’t have a type, but still. I stomped to the vending machines and waited for Harry to show up. After five minutes, I began to get worried I had been duped. 

“Really? Not even a text saying his fancy limo driver arrived early? Wait, I don’t have his number. I should probably just check on him instead of being a jerk.” I told myself. I marched down to Harry’s homeroom to find the door slightly ajar and shouting from inside.

Chapter Text

Trigger Warning: A slur for homosexual people is mentioned, so be advised. 

 I marched down to Harry’s homeroom to find the door slightly ajar and shouting from inside.

“Just give us the money, you stuck up rich boy!” Anders yelled from inside. I dashed in to find three dudes surrounding Harry, waving their fists around. 

“Come on! Daddy’s rich so I’m sure you can pony up  $50, unless you want a beating.” another one of them threatened.

“Hey, back off, losers,” I shouted. They turned around shocked. Quickly those shocked faces became cocky again.

“What do you want, Elliot?” he leered.

“I want you to stop messing with my friend” I asked, my voice low.

“Never gonna happen, so run along.” he laughed.

“If you aren't going to stop then, I'm the person who’s about to beat the crap out of you,” I said, getting in a fighting stance.

“Ha! She thinks she can take on all three of us.” the third bully chuckled. Anders quickly threw a predictable right hook that I easily dodged. He stumbled back surprised he missed. 

“Why you, fucking fag. Lucky dodge. Once I hit you you’re done for.” he sneered. He threw punch after punch trying to hit me, but missed every time.

“Dude, the ten-year olds just starting boxing throw punches better than you.” I teased. This made the punches faster but more sporadic. Then I had an opening. One clean body shot and he stumbled back six feet before falling over in pain.

“Man, you are weaker than I thought, or I’m stronger.” I said, genuinely impressed with myself.

“You’ll pay for that.” the second bully said. Both of them started to advance towards me. One of them reached to grab my shirt, but I flipped him over my hip. 

“Simple yet effective takedown. Take notes, Harry.” I joked. The final bully tried to punch me from the side, but I just sidestepped and brought my fist to his stomach.

“I’ve finished with the trash.” I said cockily to Harry.

“That was impressive.” he said in awe.

“After five years of boxing and three years of jiu-jitsu, I sure hope so. Though they were an easy spar. So snacks?” I said.

“Sure.” he said, trying to mask the amazement still in his voice. We walked towards the door, but as Harry opened the door for me, I felt a fire like sensation all over. It was like TV static was hugging my skin all over. The static was telling me to… move to the right! I quickly stepped to the side, and the bully I had flipped stumbled in front of me. He had very clearly been trying to punch me in the back of the head.

“Dude, a sucker-punch? Really? Disappointing.” I said, trying to make sure no one questioned how I dodged a punch I had no idea about. I delivered a relatively soft head shot, but he still crumpled to the ground with a bloody nose.

“Crap, I didn’t mean to do that. Never mind that. Snacks. I’m starving, fighting bullies makes me hungry.”  I said stepping out into the hallway. 

“That was so cool, Elliot! You moved like you were in an action movie. It is so fluid and amazing. I didn’t know you could fight.” Harry gushed.

“Well you would have soon enough. It’s kind of the only thing I can do, so I brag about it a lot.” I said, slightly embarrassed. 

“I would too if I could fight like you,” Harry said, “but I can’t do much more than science and math so…” 

 “If you come by the gym you can train with me and a whole class of people, but it’s fun.” I offered.

“Really?” Harry asked.

“Yeah, my gym is pretty open about its clients, as long as your record is clean and you pay, they’ll train you.” I said. We arrived in front of the vending machines. I began looking for my wallet as Harry stepped up to the machine. 

“That’s super cool. What snack do you want?” Harry asked.

“I told you I’m paying for myself.” I said sternly. 

“Come on, you saved me. I can buy you a snack or two.” Harry insisted.

“Fine, but only because I’m starving. I’ll have the Cool Ranch chips and beef jerky. I’ll buy myself the potato chips because I love them and-hey what are you doing? I said I’m going to buy the potato chips!” 

“I couldn’t not treat my hero.” 

“I’m going to pay you back.”

“Sure you will.”

“I will!”

“Have fun trying to get money to me. I’ll send it back”

“Why are you snobby rich boy? I’ll pay you back for these snacks so help me-”

“Shut up and eat your snacks, Elliot.” Harry laughed.

“Fine.” I huffed. After devouring all the chips and while I was still munching on the beef jerky, Harry asked me a question.

“Back there, the guy called you a fag… What does it mean?” he asked nervously.

“It-um-well. You see it-ah- it’s an insult for gay people, but ah- I’m not fully gay. That’s not right-um. I like men, women, and any other gender. I’m pansexual. So I’m kind of gay but I can like dudes too. And-um-yeah… It’s kind of a slur for LGBTQ+ people.” I stuttered.

“Oh. So does that mean you want to be in a relationship with a girl?” Harry asked.

“No, I-the- I kind of-um- it’s complicated. I don’t really see gender. It’s like, you are nice to me and have a nice face so I like you type deal. It-ah- doesn’t matter what they have downstairs I just like them as a person. Make sense?” Harry didn’t speak for a while.

“That’s fine. You’re still your amazing self no matter what gender you date.” he comforted. Tears began to fill my eyes. My phone buzzed from my pocket. 

“My dad is here. I’ve  got to go, Harry. I’ll- I’ll see you tomorrow.” I said.

“And thank you,” I added, “I really needed that.” I waved him goodbye as a dopey smile spread across my face. I ran down the hallway, only to run back up again to Harry. He was staring off at the wall, spaced out.

“I forgot tomorrow is Saturday, and I really wanted to talk to you more so can I have your number?” I quickly said. 

“Oh, yeah of course.” Harry bumbled. He wrote it down before handing it to me.

“Okay, thanks. Goodbye for real this time.” I said, awkwardly. This time I made out to the car while Dad was waiting impatiently inside.

“What took you so long?” he asked, slightly annoyed.

“Sorry, I was talking to a new friend.” I said, still grinning.

“Well, they must be one heck of a friend if you’re smiling like that.” he teased.

“Nope just friends.” I told him. He shrugged and pulled out of the parking lot as a fancy limo pulled in. 

“I wonder who gets that sweet ride,” Dad said.

“I might know who,” I smiled.

Chapter Text

Once I got home I ate dinner with my dad and sister. Red beans and rice. A Louisiana classic. My dad is from Louisiana, so he knows how to cook the classics. Me being a weak yanke, most of the dishes are too spicy for me, but I enjoy them nonetheless. That night, however, I downed three helpings and half a gallon of milk before Dad could finish his second bowl.

“Wow you must have been really hungry, Elliot.” Dad remarked.

“I was, but I’m good now. Just sleepy. I’m going to head to bed.” I said, standing up.

“Wait do you have any homework?” Dad questioned.

“Nope. Field trip today remember?” I yawned. 

“Okay. You don’t want to go on a walk or anything? Just to get the blood pumping.” Dad asked.

“Sorry, Dad. I’m exhausted. Walking to my room seems difficult so a walk seems impossible.” I explained.

“That’s fine. Just rest up and we can talk about the field trip on our walk tomorrow.” Dad suggested.

“Sounds like a plan,” I agreed.

“Okay good night, honey.” Dad said.

“Night, Banana.” my younger sister, Heather called.

“Not going to let that go are you, bird?” I asked.

“Never. I’ll tell the banana story at your wedding.” she firmly said.

“All right. Goodnight, you little terror.” I conceded.

I dreamt incomplete nightmares and dreams. Someone is hugging me. Jumping from the top of a building. Someone is kissing me. Someone is hurting me. Spiders crawling across my skin. Webs suffocating me. A spider serving tea. A world upside down. Webs from my wrists wrapping me closer to someone. Webs from my wrists choking someone. No matter what image it was, I felt wrapped in layers and layers of heat. It felt like I was running a fever that would never break. As soon as the heat came it was gone. The only remnants of it were in my wrists, that felt like hand warmers were pressed against them. 

I sat up quickly. I heaved heavy breaths. My brain felt full of cotton and my mouth was drier than a desert. My body ached like I worked out the day before. I groaned and laid back down on my bed. I sat up again though because my bed was drenched in sweat. My whole body was sticky with old and new sweat. The smell of which was not at all pleasant.

I stumbled to the bathroom, which was thankfully empty. I ripped off my clothes and got into the shower. The frigid water shocked me awake. Realizing how thirsty I was, I gulped down mouthfuls of the chilly water. Quickly, I lathered myself with soap and finished showering. Only once I got out of the shower did I notice something. On the floor ripped up like a practice suture kit were my pajamas. Very clearly I had torn them apart trying to get in the shower.

“Those were my favorite pjs,” I exclaimed to no one, “I also don’t have any clothes to change into now. On another note, how did I do that?”

I dashed back into my room to dress myself. After putting on a comfortable pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt, I investigated the shredded clothes. I had most definitely destroyed them. My precious Charmander shirt, that I had retired years ago, had a tear starting at the collar and ended at the middle of the shirt. The loose pajama pants were ripped at the sides in a way that made them look like an animal attacked me. 

“Rest in peace my poor PJs,” I solemnly said. I felt a static sensation all over, just like when I fought the bully the day before. The only difference was it was not a fiery zing, it was like I had been immersed in sparkling water.

“What are you doing?” my sister asked from the doorway. As she got closer the static started to feel more fiery. She reached towards my shirt, but something told me that wasn’t her intention. Her hand quickly changed target, aiming for my face. She burped. I knock her hand out of the way and leap up to flick her in the forehead.

“Ouch, that really hurt!” she complained, rubbing her forehead, “I know the burp game is a game all about speed, but sheesh! That really hurt.”

“Quit whining, you know the rules. Someone burps, hit yourself or get hit! Dems da rules.” I said with fake swagger.

“Whatever. What happened to your shirt by the way?” she asked. After removing her hand from her head I realized I had left a mark on her. That was odd because I hadn’t flicked that hard. Plus how did I dodge her skillful misdirection? It had something to do with the static.

“Well? What happened?” Heather badgered.

“Oh, um-yeah. I guess the material was just too old. I kind of ripped it while taking it off.” I said.

“I’m sorry. I know how much you loved that shirt,” she sympathized. 

“It’s fine. It was old anyway.” I lied trying to mask my sadness. That shirt had helped me feel grounded when my life felt like a tornado. I was sad to see it go, but it was just a shirt. I had more important things to figure out.

“Don’t you have something you are supposed to be doing?” I asked.

“Oh, yeah. I have to pack for my friend’s house because I’m going to a sleepover,” she recalled out loud. 

“You might want to go do that,” I replied, staring at the torn shirt intently.

“The thing is I need a shower first so….” she nudged. I hummed to her remark, not fully realizing what she had said.

“I need you to get out of the bathroom, Elliot.” she said. That broke me out of my thoughts.

“Oh. Sorry about that. I was kind of spaced out there for a second.” I apologized. I grabbed my clothes before I left the bathroom. After tossing the destroyed clothes on my bed, I walked down stairs. Dad was playing a video game on the TV. The remnants of breakfast were still all over the table. 

“Hey, bug. You sure were tired last night,” Dad called.

“Yeah, and I had some pretty bizarre dreams,” I said. Growls echoed from my stomach, so I made myself a bowl of cereal before watching Dad's game.

“I’ve heard this game is pretty buggy. How is it for you?” I asked.

“Well, I mean it’s pretty bad,” he answered. He began going on and on about the flaws in the game, but how it was okay. After ranting for ten minutes, Dad settled down.

“You probably don’t want to hear about all that, though,” he said, “so tell me about the field trip. It must have been really exhausting if you passed out for seventeen hours.” 

“What? I passed out for seventeen hours?” I exclaimed in shock.

“Yeah, I was shocked too. You slept harder than the dead. Seriously, I tried to wake you up for breakfast and you didn’t budge.”

“It must have been all that food,” I chuckled, nervously. 

“Must have been,” Dad agreed in amazement. 

“I forgot, I wanted to message one of my friends today.” I remember out loud.

“Oh which one? Peter or Skylar?” he asked.

“I-ah-made a new friend. His name is Harry.”

“It’s good that you’re making new friends,” Dad praised.

“It’s not that big of a deal. Anyway, I’m going to go message him, so… bye.” I quickly walked to my room to retrieve my phone. I sat down on my bed, only to remember it was full of sweat. 

Before texting Harry, I pulled all the sheets off my bed and put them in the washer, but as I was putting them in the washer, something strange happened. While I was loading my sheets into the dryer, they got stuck to my hand. Not wrapped around my hands, stuck. I had no grip on them, yet the stubborn sheets wouldn’t get off my hand. Eventually, the sheets fell away, like they hadn’t been stuck to my hand for the past few minutes. 

Smug sheets.

Once that whole ordeal was done, I sat down to message Harry.

Chapter Text

Once that whole ordeal was done, I sat down to message Harry.

Hey, this is Elliot Elrod from school. Sorry I didn’t message you sooner, I was wiped out after the field trip. I texted. I set down my phone to wait for a reply. Surprisingly I didn’t have to wait that long. 

Hey, Elliot. Harry texted You did seem exhausted after the trip. Did you sleep well? I exhaled a half laugh.

What are you my mom now? I joked. The three dots stayed on screen for a while, showing he was having trouble coming up with a response. 

I can tell you are out of witty replies, so I’ll just say I slept great. Thanks for asking. I typed.

That’s good. Anything exciting happening today? he asked.

Besides playing Minecraft? Nope. I replied.

You play Minecraft? he questioned.

Yeah. You want to play with me? I’ve got this great survival world with lots of resources and what not. I offered.

Sounds fun. Let me set up my computer and I’ll join you. Harry texted Wait, how will we talk? Surely typing isn’t effective.

Do you have Discord? I asked. 

What’s Discord? he replied.

Boy. I’m calling you right now. I said. I pressed the call button at the top of my phone. The line rang three times. A surprising amount of times seeing as how he was using his phone to talk to me. Right before the fourth ring, he picked up.

“Hey,” he muttered.

“We’ve already said that, so I’m going to skip right to the reason I called. You don’t know what Discord is?” I said loudly into the phone.

“Isn’t that when people are fighting? Like right now?” he guessed nervously. 

“Dude, if I was mad at you, you would definitely know it,” I corrected, “As well, Discord is a platform for communication between gamers. I’m going to talk you through how to set up an account now.” We spent the next ten or so minutes joking around and setting up Harry’s account. Once that was done we played Minecraft for a couple hours. We played until things started getting weird on my end. 

In Minecraft there are two bosses, the Wither and the Ender Dragon. We were fighting the Wither, so the stakes were high. If we defeated it, we would get enough exp to enchant our gear and go to the End to face the Ender Dragon. The Wither was half health when things started to go to shit.

“Elliot what’s wrong? Why aren’t you moving? You’re taking a lot of damage.” Harry told me through the voice chat.

“Um, I have a bit of a problem,” I said.

“What?” he asked clearly, getting desperate because my health was dipping.

“Sticky keys,”  I answered. More like sticky fingers honestly. I had pulled the WASD and space keys off my keyboard. Even though I wasn’t gripping them, they wouldn’t come off my hands. I shook my hands violently, but the keys stayed glued to my fingers.

“Elliot! You are about to die, hurry up and unstick your keys, before the Wither gets you.” Harry practically screamed. 

“Fine,” I placed my still key-ridden hands on my keyboard. Thankfully, I had memorized where the WASD keys were. It also helped that they had been removed from the keyboard so I could see what keys were missing. 

Somehow we managed to defeat the Wither despite my sticky situation. 

“Yes,” Harry cheered, “we killed the Wither! Now what was the problem you had?”

“Nothing, it’s fine. Anyway, I’ve got to go, but let’s do this again sometime.” I said, trying to keep calm.

“Yeah, sure. This was super fun. How about tomorrow?” he asked.

“I think I’ve got something to do tomorrow,” I replied, actually disappointed. 

“No problem, maybe later than.” 

“Definitely.”

“Okay, bye now,” Harry said, before unplugging his headset. 

“Man, she’s so cool,” his computer microphone picked up.

“Hey, Harry. You need to leave the voice chat, so I can’t hear you anymore,” I chuckled.

“Oh, um-yeah. Bye for real now.” 

“Bye-bye,” This time Harry did leave the voice call. I smiled at the screen, thinking about how embarrassed he probably was. Then, I remembered the keys stuck to my fingers. I held up my hands to inspect them, but the keys had fallen off. 

“What the actual hell,” I told the keys. They sat unassumingly on my mangled keyboard. I poked one of them, but it didn’t stick. 

“Really,” I gripped, “You had to get all weird while I was fighting a boss? Right when the tensions were high Wait maybe-” I thought about it for a minute.

What if it wasn’t the keys that stuck to me, but I stuck to the keys? The same thing happened when I tried to wash my sheets. 

What if I was the anomaly?

There was no way I could have powers. There is no way I, Elliot Elrod, could have powers. I was the most boring and normal person ever!

How?

Why? 

Maybe most importantly, what were my powers? I stood up, sending my chair rolling away. 

“I need to run tests,” I told myself, “after I fix my poor computer,” Once that was done, I began to think of things to do.

“Well, I have sticky hands. Let’s test that out.” I said. I picked up a stress ball over my desk and walked out of my room. 

“Hey, Heather!” I yelled.

“What do you want?” she yelled back.

“I need you to do something for me.” I told her.

“What do I get out of it?”

“Um-a dollar?” 

“Awesome. What do you need, my dearest sibling?” 

“Try and take this ball out of my hand.”

“...what,”

“Try and take this ball out of my hand, and if you succeed I’ll give you a dollar.”

“Okay, I guess,” I opened my palm to reveal the red stress ball. As Heather's hand came closer to mine, I tried to make my hand stick. I tried to imagine tiny particles on my hand grabbing the ball, locking it in place. 

Heather’s hand closed over the ball, and she pulled her hand away. Her hand slipped, and the ball stayed in my hand. 

“What the hell,” Heather cursed.

“Is it really that difficult?” I teased. She huffed. Once again, she grabbed at the ball but with more strength. The ball stayed stubbornly in place. 

“You rigged it!” she exclaimed.

“No I didn’t,” I countered. To prove my point, I threw the ball up in the air and caught it.

“See? You’re just weak I guess,” I joked before running away.

“ELLIOT!” Heather screamed. She chased me to my room, but I closed my door before she could extract her revenge. 

Normally she would strong-arm her way into my room, but this time I managed to hold the door closed.

“How did you get stronger?” she huffed from the other side of the door. 

“Skillz with a ‘z’, Heather,” I said, seriously, “the ‘z’ is important,”

“Alright whatever,” she dismissed. She left my door.

“I do seem unusually strong,” I remarked. I walked over to my bed. Placing my hands under the post, I lifted upward. The bed ended up on its side with a major thump.

“Everything okay?” my dad shouted, concerned.

“Couldn’t be better, Dad!” I yelled back. I smiled like a lunatic.

Elliot Elrod, the most boring person on the planet, had freaking super powers.

“Shit’s about to go down,” I smiled to myself.

Chapter Text

“I should fix my bed instead of talking to myself” I realized. As softly as possible, I flipped my bed back the way it was supposed to be and fixed the pillows. 

“Wait,” I thought out loud, “if I’m extremely strong and my hands are sticky then maybe…” I glanced at the wall, smirking. I walked to the wall.

“Okay, I’ve got this,” I exhaled. Taking a couple deep breaths I placed my hands high above myself. I picked up my left leg and placed it on the wall. Bringing back the image of the particles, I imagined them gathering on my hands and the left foot. 

“This will work. This will work. I’ve got this. I’m awesome and sticky? That sounds weird out of context. Point is, this will work.” I told myself. After a few deep breaths, I lifted up my right foot and put it on the wall.

And I didn’t fall!

“Oh my god! I did it!,” I cheered, “Holy sh-” 

I fell.

“Ouch. But it worked! All right. Again,” To focus, I closed my eyes.

I placed my hands on the wall again. 

I placed my left foot on the wall.

I placed my right foot on the wall.

Release right hand and move up.

Release right foot and move up.

Release left hand and move up.

Release left foot and move up.

Repeat.

My head hit the ceiling. I moved so that my hands were on the ceiling. Next were my feet.

I opened my eyes slowly.

My room was upside down. My hair dangled down towards the floor, as if it didn’t like the change in perspective. 

“This is amazing,” I said slowly. This time I made sure to focus on staying glued to the ceiling. After I marveled at my abilities a little longer, I released my feet slowly. Lowering them to the floor slowly. Next was the right hand. Finally the only thing keeping me suspended was my left hand, attached to the ceiling. 

Then I let that go.

I dropped an astounding three feet, but it felt like I was letting go of all my doubts of my powers.

“That was spectacular,” I breathed. Despite the climb, I felt fine. Not winded or tired. My arms and legs didn’t ache, like they did when I went rock-climbing that one time. My head was still up in the sky though. Right up there on Cloud nine.

“Elliot! Dinner’s ready!” Dad called from downstairs.

“Coming,” I told him.

“My life is about to get crazy,” I said.

Despite my idea of life getting crazy, not much happened Sunday. I went shopping with Dad. Played a card game with Peter. Broke the shower curtain with my adhesive hands and strength because shower curtains are weak. Ate someone chicken and mac n cheese. And I ended the uneventful day with sleep. 

Sleep was when things got interesting.

The dream started in a lab. Norman Osborn’s personal lab, the one Harry snuck me into. Dr. Osborn was there along with Dr. Connors. 

“You lost the sample?” Norman yelled, angrily.

“Yes, Dr. Osborn,” Dr. Connors said, professionally.

“Well, what about the other samples?” Dr. Osborn questioned.

“All secured,” Dr. Connors explained, “despite the unexpected breeding of sample A-67 and B-26, we have secured all other offspring. All 53 of them are labeled under section ‘C’. The only one missing is C-54.”

“I bet an Agent took it,” Dr. Osborn speculated.

“Highly unlikely, doctor,” Dr. Connors assured, “No one has accessed the building that wasn’t permitted. Security would have at least a trace of evidence if an Agent tried to break our defenses.” 

“Unless they have upgraded,” Dr. Osborn whispered.

“What, doctor?” Dr. Connors asked.

“He could have upgraded them, just to steal our research!” Dr. Osborn shouted.

“It is unlikely he could have updated his Agents so soon after the last update,” Dr. Connors reasoned.

“He would do anything to get his hands on my research. He knows the money that can be made from it.” Dr. Osborn said. 

“It is more likely it got crushed under the heel of someone’s boot,” Dr. Connors said, “After all, who notices a tiny little garden spider?”

I sat upright in bed.

“What the fuck was that dream?” I asked in my dark room. 

I knew it wasn’t a dream, somehow.

What I had seen was real, but how?

I glanced over at my alarm clock sitting on the nightstand.

3:47 AM it told me. Great. There was no way I could fall back asleep after that… vision? Dream? I don’t know what to call it. 

I got up out of bed and paced away some of my nervous energy. I closed my eyes but kept pacing. 

Did the vision have to do with my new powers? How? I have adhesive hands and super strength, so how does seeing other places in time fit into that? Did it have to do with the static feeling? I need to come up with a better name than static feeling. Did I have any other powers?

With that thought I stopped pacing. I opened my eyes only to see I was suspended on the ceiling. 

“Cool,” I told my feet, half joking half, serious. I dropped to the floor with a flip. 

“Woah, I didn’t think I could move like that.” I said, impressed.

“You know this proves that I need to work on my weird ability. I can’t be walking up walls at school.” I thought out loud.

For the next two hours, I practiced sticking to things and not sticking to things. After all that work, I was exhausted, but the morning didn’t care. Lovely bird cries echoed from outside and the cheery sun drove away the mystery of night. 

“Oh so now you show up,” I growled at the sun.

“Hey, sibling dearest! It’s time to get up!” Heather called from her room. 

“Always the early bird. Aren’t you, Heather?” I asked once I opened the door.

“Jeez, you look like crap,” Heather said.

“Thanks. It’s what I aim for.” 

“Did you sleep?” 

“Little bit,” 

“You sure? You look half dead.”

“Too bad Halloween was two weeks ago,” 

“Seriously, are you okay, Elliot?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. Once I get some coffee I’ll be able to lift cars,” I said.

“Or without,” I muttered to myself.

“What?” Heather asked.

“Nothing,” I lied. Heather looked at me with concern.

“Fine, just take it easy today.” Heather warned.

“When do I ever not take it easy?” I joked before heading down stairs. In the kitchen Dad was making breakfast tacos. 

“Hey, bug. Want breakfast?” he asked. I walked into the kitchen to grab a plate.

“Yes please!” I said excitedly.

“Woah are you okay? You look like you didn’t sleep” 

“Yeah, I had a-ah-a nightmare. Yeah. I couldn’t sleep after that.” I blundered. 

“Why didn’t you take a sleep pill or come get me then?” Dad questioned.

“I used the extra time for a passion project of mine,” I said, not exactly lying. I was passionate about figuring out my powers.

“That’s good that you used your time effectively, but are you sure you should go to school? You look like you need a nap.” Dad worried.

“I’m fine,” I promised. Grabbing a breakfast taco, I walked out of the kitchen. I started munching on the still warm food.

“Okay,” Dad said, hesitating, “are you going to take the bus to school?” 

“No, Uncle Ben is going to drive Peter and me to school.” I explained.

“I’ll have to tell Ben thank you then. Hey is that Peter?” Dad said, staring out the window. I walked back into the kitchen to look out the window. The person running down the street was, in fact, Peter. 

“I’m going to go see what’s up with Peter.” I told Dad as I ran out the house. Something told me to grab my bag, so I did.

“PETER,” I yelled, “why are you running?”

“Uncle Ben,” Peter huffed, “is sick, so we need to take the bus.” As Peter said that the bus stopped ¼ of a mile away. 

“There is no way we’ll make it,” he whined.

“I might be able to.” I said under my breath. 

“What?” he asked. 

“We’re going to make it,” I told him before grabbing his hand.

“But the bus is-” Peter started to complain, but I took off running. Before I got powers, I never would have made it, but now…

“Elliot! I can’t keep up and I’m slipping!” Peter cried. Instead of stopping, I picked him up bridal style. We got in view of the bus. The driver in all their mercy, saw us and didn’t pull away from the stop. Once we reached the bus, I put Peter down.

“Wow kid,” the bus driver said, “you must be exhausted after running like that and carrying that boy! Do you want water or something?” I nodded. As they scrambled around to find a bottle Peter turned to me. 

“How did you do that?” he asked

“Coffee is a miraculous invention. Is it not?” I answered, climbing on the bus and taking the water with a thank you.

“But, I’ve always been the fastest runner. Plus, you said you struggle to do ten push-ups, and now you can carry me and run like the wind? What kind of coffee are you drinking?” Peter pestered. 

“Maybe I have super powers,” I half joked.

“Ha ha,” he sarcastically laughed.

“What would you do if you had powers?” I asked genuinely curious. 

“I don’t know. Uncle Ben always says ‘with great power comes great responsibility’ so I guess I’d help people,” he said seriously, “Although, I might do some side jobs to help make money for games and projects. I mean if I have powers shouldn’t I have fun with them?” 

“Yeah,” I said, lost in thought.

“What about you? What would you do if you had powers?” he asked.

“I guess I would try and figure out how I got my powers. If it was from an evil source, I would stop the evil from spreading.” I thought out loud.

“Oh that’s a good idea,” Peter agreed. He continued to talk about hypothetical powers, but I wasn’t listening. I was planning my next course of action to find out why I had powers.

Chapter Text

You read that title right! Today we are exploring Garden Spider's powers!

Random party pooper: But Garden Spider isn't even cannon yet. And in the last episode you said we didn't know all of Elliot's abilities so doesn't that mean-

Shush. Let me do this.

The first and most obvious power to explain: Strength

According to a quick google search, spiders can lift 250 times their weight. So I'm going to math this out for you  

Let's say Elliot weighs 150 pounds

150 x 250 = 37,500 pounds

Elliot can lift an elephant or nearly eleven middle sized cars. That's life goals, right there.

Another one: Stamina and Healing

In the last part, Elliot mentioned that climbing wasn't hard. That was because of the increased stamina they got from the spider bite. Don't ask why. They needed that so that they didn't get super tired when fighting villains, okay. Don't read into it too much. 

The healing part kind of varies. If Elliot is gravelly injured, they will heal explosively fast. Think of it like the body realizing it has been slacking off, so it staring working furiously to compensate. If Elliot gets a paper cut they will heal 3 times as fast. Quickly, but not as fast as if they broke their back.

Next up: Adhesive limbs

This power is just like Spider-Man's power. Able to stick to objects and walls. The way it 'works' is Elliot makes the particles of their limbs the opposite of particle of the object. Think of a magnet. Elliot can make their hands the positive pole to the negative pole of the wall. Or they can make their feet the negative pole to the positive pole of the ceiling. Make sense? Probably not, but the point is their hands and feet (and their whole body) can stick to any object.

The finally power: Spider Sense!

Elliot has the standard Spider Sense. If someone tries to sneak attack them, they have a static feeling all over that tells them to dodge. For some reason, Elliot also gets the static when there is trouble in the area. As well they get dreams.

In the last part, Elliot had a dream about Dr. Osborn and Dr. Connors discussing the spider that bit them. For now no one knows why their Spider Sense allows them to glimpse into different places. Maybe it's plot convivence or maybe it's me building up into a plot revel.  

Probably the first option, but you don't know that!

That's all of Garden Spider's powers so far!

I might do this for all of the heroes and villains that pop in the story. Let me know if that's a good idea. 

I would show you the spectacular spider suit, but I think it deserves to be introduced when Elliot makes it. I don't know, it might add a sense of importance to it. 

Anyway that's all. Until next time, try not to die.

Chapter Text

Trigger Warning: There is mention of a slur for homosexual people. 

“I guess I would try and figure out how I got my powers. If it was from an evil source, I would stop the evil from spreading.” I thought out loud.

“Oh that’s a good idea,” Peter agreed. He continued to talk about hypothetical powers, but I wasn’t listening. I was planning my next course of action to find out why I had powers.

I continued down the line of thought. Where did I get my powers from? They appeared on Saturday, so I think it has something to do with-

“Elliot, what powers would you want?” Peter asked. 

“What? Oh. Um, super strength, I guess.” I answered. 

“Lame. I would want the ability to teleport. Imagine the possibilities! I would never be late. I would be able to unlock the secrets of instant transportation! I would make a lot of money off that too.” Peter babbled.

“The spider!” I exclaimed. 

“What about a spider?” Peter said, confused.

“Oh, that’s-ah- that’s the power I want. All the abilities of a spider.” I quickly said, trying to come up with an excuse for my outburst.

“So you’d want to stick to walls, make webs, and be stronger? That’s all? Boring.” Peter complained. 

“Webs?” I asked.

“Yeah, spiders can spin webs, so of course that would be a power a Spider-Person has.” Peter chided. He continued to ramble on and on about super powers, but I was lost in thought.

Could I have webs?

That’s ridiculous. Webs? What a funny thought.

The bus pulled up to the school. Students were milling around and Skylar was among them. She was wearing a similar outfit to yesterday, but her leggings were navy blue this time. Peter and I got off the bus to greet her.

“Hey, losers!” Skylar said once we got over to her.

“Hello, giant,” Peter and I said in unison. Skylar towered over most girls at 5”11, so we enjoyed teasing her about it.

“Better than being midgets,” she replied.

“We could go back and forth all day, but I have something to tell you,” Peter fidgeted, “so I was running late-”

“As usual,” Skylar cut in.

“Not the point,” Peter corrected, “anyway. The bus pulled up in the distance, but there was no way I could make it. Suddenly Elliot pops ups and grabs me. They take off running! They were running so fast I couldn’t keep up, and then do you know what they did next? They picked me up and kept running! It was insane. Tell her Eliot!”

“It wasn't that impressive,” I tried to reason.

“No way. It was extremely impressive. Down right spectacular.” Peter countered.

“I told you it was just coffee,” I argued. 

“You are probably just exaggerating, Peter. Them being able to do that would be impossible. Sorry Elliot, but it’s kind of true.” Skylar said.

“See, Skylar understands. It was a bug in the Matrix. Let it go, Peter.” I joked, trying to hide how nervous I was. If Peter figured out I had powers, my secret identity would be compromised. Then I wouldn’t be able to do whatever it is I want to do with my powers. I wouldn't be able to be-

“Look guys! It’s just the fag I was talking about and with the wuss and my bitch. We have a complete set!” Anders sneered. He had brought five of his biggest buddies with him, this time.

“What do you want, Anders?” Skylar asked, annoyed.

“This doesn’t concern you, doll,” Anders sweetly said, “I just have a score to settle with Elliot. Maybe I’ll take a crack at the wuss too, just for fun.” Peter moved closer behind me, but Skylar stood even taller.

“You touch them, and I’ll make your life hell.” she warned.

“Yeah, you think that hun, but you don’t want to cross paths with these guys. They don’t mind hitting a pretty girl.” he threatened. The dudes behind him didn’t go to our school. They looked more like gangsters, but I saw the upside down school crest on one of their jackets. Midtown High. 

“Let’s just go, Skylar.” I tried.

“No. You are about to be beaten to a pulp,” Anders growled, “but the pretty girl can leave. If she doesn’t want to come stand next to me, like a good girl.”

This was bad. The situation was escalating quickly. If I took down six people way bigger than me, everyone would be super suspicious. One top of the fiasco this morning, I would be found out. There is no way a teacher would show yet, it’s too early. I really don’t want to be beaten up, but it might be the only way to escape the situation with as little long term damage as possible. Maybe damage isn’t the right word because I will definitely be damaged. On the bright side, I’ll be able to test to see if I have super healing. This is going to suck.

I opened my mouth to tell Skylar and Peter to leave, but then Skylar did something I never expected.

“You’re right. I don’t really care about these losers. You can go head and beat them up, baby.” she announced. She walked over to Anders with a frighteningly sweet smile printed across her face. 

“That’s more like it. Pretty girls should know their place.” Anders grinned. 

Then Skylar did something perfectly on brand. 

Once she stood right in front of him, she grabbed his shoulders and brought her knee up into his groin. Twice. He fell to the floor groaning at the loss of his fertility.

“You can beat up these losers, over my dead body. So come at me, bitches.” Skylar yelled, standing in a fighting stance. Looks like it’s two vs. five. Maybe I don’t have to get wrecked. 

“Y-yeah. B-back off-f.” Peter stuttered. Much less intimidating, but he stood his ground nonetheless. Three vs. five. I liked our chances.

“Nice knee, Skylar. And here I was wondering when you were going to make the first move.” I joked, also getting in a stance. The Midtown guys broke out of their shock after my comment. One of them lunged at Skylar, but I didn’t see what happened next. 

I was too busy with the other three guys.

One went for a headshot. Static shot throughout my veins, guiding my movements. Duck. Now takedown. I grabbed the dude’s hips, and spun him to the ground. An elbow to the face took care of him. Static. Roll left. The other guy nearly fell over after he missed the punch, but quickly fixed his balance. Both of the dudes were in front of me. One tried again to hit me. The other tried to get behind me. The static’s warnings were like second nature now. Duck. Body shot. Turn. Takedown. Armbar. I heard a startling pop from the guy’s arm. 

“Oops. I didn’t mean to break it,” I said. With three out of the five down, I could focus on Peter and Skylar. Skylar was trading blows with the biggest dude and winning. Peter was in trouble. He was dodging and weaving but tiring. Anders was still groaning on the ground. 

I needed to help Peter.

The dude got a headshot before I managed to get close enough. Peter went down, blood gushing from his nose. 

“Didn’t your mother tell you not to hit people, or did she not love you enough to teach you that?” I said, trying to distract the bully. It worked. 

He threw another jab at me. Step back. Spring forward, right into a body shot. I caught him clean in the liver, and he crumpled. At the same time, Skylar managed to get a choke hold on the last one. He went night-night after a couple seconds in her killer grip. 

Yet, Skylar wasn’t done. She walked back over to Anders and picked up his face by his hair.

“Don’t you ever fuck with me and my friends ever again, or I’ll make sure you end up with worse injuries got it?” she threatened. His head nodded up and down before she dropped it. She turned back to us with a genuine grin.

“So who’s ready to learn?” she smiled.

Chapter Text

“Don’t you ever fuck with me and my friends ever again, or I’ll make sure you end up with worse injuries got it?” she threatened. His head nodded up and down before she dropped it. She turned back to us with a genuine grin.

“So who’s ready to learn?” Skylar smiled.

“I think you and Peter need to go to the infirmary first.” I reasoned, as her nose started to bleed.

“What are you talking about? I feel fine, what about you two?” she laughed and wiped away the blood. I could tell she wasn’t fine. Every step she took, she winced and her breaths came in short puffs. A bruise was developing on her cheek.

“I’m fine.” Peter said confidently, holding his still bleeding nose, “but Skylar isn’t.” Static lit up under my skin. That meant-

“Guys I’m fin-'' She started to fall. Lucky for her, I was already there. 

“You’re fine, are you? Is that why you are swooning in my presence?” I joked. I lifted her arm over my shoulder, so I could help her walk. 

“There is no need to do all this,” Skylar fought, “I’ve been hit plenty of times in the gym!”

“That dude was two weight categories ahead of you, and you still took him down. So quit whining about not being hurt. I can see the bruises forming and the blood on your shirt. We are going to get you checked out.” I firmly said. Surprisingly, Skylar didn’t fight back.

“She’s out cold,” Peter told me. I looked over at her face. Her head was dropped and strands of her wavy hair covered her face. 

“Come on, Peter,” I announced, “we have a body to deliver.”

In the infirmary, a lot of questions were asked.

How did the fight happen?  Anders threatened to beat me up. Truth.

How did the fight start? Skylar delivered a killer knee to Anders’s private area. Truth.

Where did the fight happen? Right before the edge of school grounds. Truth. 

How did the fight end? We took down all the bullies. Truth.

Why did Skylar get so injured? She traded blows with a dude twice her size. Truth

Why wasn’t I injured? I wasn’t in the fight much. Lie.

In the end, Peter and I were dismissed to go to class, but Skylar had to have her dads called because of her injuries. Before we left we decided to hang out with Skylar a little longer. She was laid in a hospital-like bed in the Nurse's Office. Shelves lined the small room with a counter taking up most of the room. A curtain separated us from the nurse, who was writing up the paperwork.  

“It’s not that bad!” she complained once she woke up. She had a black eye, bruised rib, sprained wrist and concussion. 

“You’re right. It’s not that bad compared to the other guy.” I teased. He was sent home with two black eyes, a lot of blunt force trauma to the torso, maybe a cracked rib, a major concussion, and a bruised neck. 

“I did do good, didn’t I?” she smiled.

“Yeah, you took down a dude twice your size. It was amazing!” Peter complimented. 

“Did anyone get a good video of it?” Skylar asked. My blood froze.

“Yeah, a lot of videos have been circling the school snapchat lately. See?” he explained. Nearly all the videos were trained on Skylar’s epic showdown, but in the background you could see my not quite human movements. I noticed a few comments.

Who’s that girl taking down those guys?

You see that person in the background! Insane.

The person in the background is like a superhero or something.

No way! I didn’t know those three could fight!

Everyone knew. Everyone was going to know. I was going to be hunted down. My heart began pounding. Blood rushed into my ears. I was going to be killed. Everyone knew. Everyone was staring. Everyone was laughing. Everyone was screaming. 

“No one can really see, Elliot though.” Skylar said, disappointed, “They took down most of the bullies anyway.”

“What?” I asked, my head snapping back up.

“Yeah, most of these videos are blurry and unfocused so you can’t really see yourself in the background. You just see someone kicking butt.” Peter confessed. 

I looked at the videos again. In the background, I was barely noticeable. Most of the comments were about Skylar, not me. If they were about me, they were wondering who I was. My secret was safe. For now. I focused on stabling my ragged breath. Everything was fine. I wasn't going to die. No one knew. I couldn't panic now. I had to put on my human face and go to school. 

"You okay, Elliot? You look like you're about to bolt out the door, screaming." Skylar worried.

"Oh? Yes. I'm good. Fine. Normal. Okay." I stuttered.

"Are you sure we don't need to call your dad?" Peter asked, also worried. 

"Yes, I'm fine guys. I'm just... a little drained for the fight is all. I didn't get much sleep last night." I claimed. I was getting too comfortable with lying.

"Okay," Skylar said, still unsure, "you guys should head off to class. You don't want to be late to Miss Hatters class. She'll actually kill you." I nodded still in a cloudy haze. Peter ran off, but before I could join him, Skylar called me back.

"Elliot, you won't get in trouble," she comforted, "you were defending yourself. Plus, we were off school-grounds, meaning the no fighting policy wasn't in effect. Please try not to spend the next few hours worrying over nothing." She thought I was concerned with the school rules. I was so far beyond being anxious about the school, but I decided to play along. 

"You're right. I'll try not to worry too much. Thanks, Skylar. If you feel well enough after school, maybe we can all hangout at Peter's house. Heather is still at her friend's house, and won't be back until tonight. Aunt May might even cook her famous chicken dinner." I told her. She grinned.

"I'll make sure to check if I can stop by then. Also one more question. Where are your glasses? You said you were almost out of contacts, so why aren't you wearing your glasses?" Skylar wondered. 

"Oh," I suddenly realized that everything was crystal clear even without my glasses or contacts. How did I not notice that before?

"I found some more contacts. Yeah, I just miscounted." I lied, hoping she would believe it. Looks like a side effect of the spider bite was better vision. Neat.

“Okay. Just don’t worry so much okay? I know that stuff can eat you up inside, so now that I’m here for you.” Skylar comforted.

“Thanks, I better go now. Don’t want Miss Hatters to kill me,” I laughed. I just wanted to go home. My head felt heavy with emotions I didn't want to process. My feet dragged because I didn’t have the energy to move them properly. All throughout the halls everyone was talking about the fight.

“Did you see it? It was insane.”

“I heard someone died from their injures,”

“I bet it was one of the nerds.”

“I didn’t know Skylar could fight.”

“Now she’s hot and badass,”

“Who’s the person in the background?”

“I heard Skylar took down all six of them with one arm behind her back.”

“Watch this. Boom! And he goes down! But then this person shows up and… bam! He fell over from one punch.”

By the time I made it to Miss Hatter’s class, my brain was hitting its limit. Too many people were focused on the fight. They were going to discover me. This was bad, bad, bad. I need to get out of here. I can’t breathe. Everyone was staring. Everyone was laughing. Everyone was screaming. No one wanted me. No one-

“Elliot. It’s okay. Breathe.” Peter said calmly. He said something after that too, but I didn’t hear it. He gently grabbed my elbow and led me into the empty hallway. 

“Breathe in for four seconds,” he calmly encouraged. I managed to shakily inhale.

“Hold for seven seconds,” 

“Exhale for eight,” I exhaled in short bursts.

“Again, four, seven, eight,” We repeated the exercise until my inhales weren’t ragged gasps. He then pulled in a tight hug. I hugged back, refraining from breaking down. I couldn’t. Not here. I felt hollow. Nothing felt real.

“Better?” he whispered.

“Yeah.” I said my voice was still shaky. Liar. But hollow was better than dying. 

“Okay, let’s go back into class.” Peter suggested. We walked back into class and whispers shot up from the chatty ones. I didn’t care. I wasn’t there. I was hiding somewhere in the back of my mind. 

The rest of the day was a blur. I took notes in class. I laughed with Peter. I joked with other students. But I wasn’t there. I felt like a puppet on strings. That smile wasn’t real. My happy tone was a recorded video. My carefree nature was an act. Nothing was real. I’m not real. 

Lunch was when I ‘woke up’.

The fog over my mind started to lift once I started to eat the school lunch. It was still bland as hell, but it gave me something else to think about. I began to regain some of my normal emotions. Mainly boredom because Peter had a robotics club meeting during lunch, but I was still happy to just feel something. I was bored until a familiar strawberry blonde boy sat in front of me. 

“What’s up, Elliot?” Harry asked.

“Nothing much, just eating a gross school lunch. What about you?” I smiled. There I got happiness back. Progress. 

“Well, I was thinking of strategies for defeating the Ender Dragon, right? So I came up wi-”

“Hey, Harry!” a chatty girl squealed. Oh great, now I have to deal with new people. I’m too tired for this mess. Soon, lots of people were sitting at my table. All of them were trying to talk to Harry about some unimportant small talk, until…

“So did you see the videos of the fight?” someone asked. I nearly choked on my milk. Harry tried to ask if I was okay, but I was too busy hacking up my lungs. 

“It was crazy. Skylar was tanking all sorts of hits.” one of them gushed. Good they were focused on Skylar, not me. Time to eat my lunch, but something was wrong. There was some resistance when I tried to pull back my cheap, plastic spork. Looking down my heart dropped. Webs from my wrists were wrapped around the tray. Has anyone noticed? If they saw this they would know I’m different. 

“Dude, Skylar was cool, but look at this video I got of the real hero.” a dude bragged. 

My blood froze.

The video was of me. You couldn’t see my face, but it was me. Inhuman dodges. Unbelievable strength behind the punches. The bad fight banter. It was me. The panic began to set in again. Everyone was laughing, but this time they were really laughing.

“Dude! That’s insane.”

“Who is that?”

“They are unbelievable.”

“They have to have super powers or something.” 

“I heard it was-”

“They look like-”

“Elliot? Are you okay?” 

I stood up, quickly, and I ran. I threw my cheap tray in the trash and ran. They knew. Everyone knew. Everyone knew I was different. I was a freak. Everyone hates me. Everyone is laughing at me. They were going to kill me. I would never get to become a scientist. I would never get to hangout with Peter and Skylar again. I would never figure out what my powers were. I would never do anything. My friends know I’m broken now. My family hates me now. Everyone was laughing. Everyone was screaming. Everything was too loud. Nothing was quiet. 

“Elliot?” someone’s voice echoed. My head snapped up. I was in an empty bathroom, on the floor. Harry was in front of me. Tears were still streaming down my cheeks. 

“What’s wrong?” he asked softly. 

“E-everything,” I sobbed.

“What do you mean?”

“I f-fought the bullies. I wasn't-the one in the video. N-now everyone knows I’m d-different. E-everyone knows, and everyone h-hates me.”

“You were the one in the video? Everyone is saying it was some badass senior named Alix. I didn’t think it was him, but I didn’t think it was you either.”

“W-what?”

“Yeah. no one can tell who it is in the video. No one thinks it is you. Don't worry.”

“B-but in the h-hallways, every-yone was t-talking,” 

“Yeah, no one knows who the mystery hero is, so they are all talking about it.”

“N-no one k-knows?”

“No one knows,”

Was it possible? Was my secret safe? I wasn’t hated or being hunted down. I was safe. My secret was safe. No one was laughing. No one was screaming. It wasn’t too loud. Everything was quiet. For now. 

“Even if everyone knew, they would just see a super talented girl who can kick ass.”

Not a girl.

“T-thanks, Harry,”

“Now, would you like help off the gross bathroom floor and a hug?”

“Yes, please,”

Harry grabbed my hands to help me up. He held them a little longer than necessary, but I didn’t mind. His hands were warm, but his hugs were warmer. We hugged for a while, and everything was fine. Then the bell rang. Harry took a step back.

“We should probably get out of here.” he suggested. 

“Yeah, don’t want to be late for class.” I agreed.

“No, I said that because we are in the boy’s bathroom, and I don’t want to get caught up in an awkward conversation.” he explained.

“Oh, sorry about that,” I blushed. 

“That’s fine,” he assured, “I didn’t have to go into the girl’s bathroom, so it all worked out.”

“Okay, well see you later.” 

“Bye, Elliot. Don’t worry too much okay?”

“I’ll try,”

He left, and I left not long after. I rushed to my next class. I wasn’t focused on Geometry like I should have been, but instead I thought about lunch. Harry helped me after I started panicking. I was panicking for good reasons, though. After all, I have webs.

Wait.

I

have

webs.

WHaT?!? 

Chapter Text

I rushed to my next class. I wasn’t focused on Geometry like I should have been, but instead I thought about lunch. Harry helped me after I started panicking. I was panicking for good reasons, though. After all, I have webs.

Wait.

I

have

webs.

WHaT?!? 

How in the world is that possible?

And from my wrists?

Aren’t silk glands located near reproductive organs on a spider? So how did they end up on the wrists of a human? I suppose it could be for optimum use. It’s not like it would be very effective if I had webs in that area. Plus, the arms are very versatile limbs, making the placement on the wrist good for common use.  Much easier to use in any given situation. Still.

WEBS?!?

I produce actual webs, from my body. This goes beyond sticky hands and super strength. This crosses into some weird things. It reminds me of the dream. The dream I had before I got my powers. Could it be-

“Elliot? Would you like to solve the question?” my teacher asked from the front of the classroom. She very clearly wasn’t asking. 

I walked up to the board and grabbed a dry-erase marker. Solving for the volume of a cone. Simple. V=Bh/3. B=πr2 . Radius is5.6 inches. 5.62= 31.36 inches. 31.36 x π = 98.52 inches. h= 3.4. Meaning the volume is…“The volume is 111.656 inches3.” I announced, circling my final answer. The rest of the class was quiet. 

“That was… impressive, Elliot.” Miss Braswell in her normally accusing southern drawl. 

“Thank you, Miss Braswell,” I muttered, before I sat down at my desk. She continued with her lesson, and I continued down my train of thought.

Could the static feeling have something to do with my strange not-dreams. I really needed a better name for that. If the not-dream involving Dr. Osborn and Dr. Connors was real, then why couldn’t the glimpses I had be real? Lots of them involved webs coming from my wrists, so they could be real. Probably not. How could I see the future anyway? It is impossible to see the future. They were probably just dreams. 

The bell rang, releasing us from Geometry. I walked through the cramped hallway. Conversations about the fight still bounced around, but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. I could deal with super strength, adhesive hands, but basically predicting the future and webs? There was no way. It wasn’t possible. It was a stress induced hallucination. 

It was the final class on the exhausting day. 

I can get through this. Probably.

During the lecture, my mind drifted again, but this time I came up with a useful idea. I needed to test if I had webs. I should wait until later, though. There have been too many scares today of people discovering my secret. 

But I really want to know if I have webs now.

My impatience won. I put my hands under the table and clenched my hand into a fist. Nothing happened. Well, I guess that’s that. I don’t have webs.

“Now, we are going to sign it,” my teacher instructed. I still had class. After glancing around, I realized what we were supposed to be doing. Everyone was practicing the new sign we were taught. Pointer finger and pinky out, middle finger and ring finger down. It was the sign for ‘I love you’. All the other students had paired up and were practicing a conversation in ASL, but I was behind. Since I didn’t have a partner, I decided to try out the new sign. Bringing my hand up from under the table, I signed ‘I love you’. A thin, silvery strand of webbing shot from my wrist. 

“Guess I didn’t hallucinate,” I said out loud, “and that’s terrifying.” 

Before anyone could notice, I yanked the web off the ceiling. Unfortunately, the ceiling came with it. I managed to get out of the way of the debris, but the damage did not go unnoticed. 

“Are you okay, Elliot?” my teacher fretted. He came over to me and looked me over for injuries. 

“I’m fine, Mr. Riley, but the sky is falling.” I joked. A couple half smiles and a few chuckles. Mr. Riley began to look at the hole left in the roof. Dust fell from the exposed area, and saw dust coated my desk and the surrounding area. 

“How did that come down?” he wondered. 

“Aliens and chemtrails,” I offered. This time there were many more suppressed laughs around the room. 

“Glad to know this incident has hit you in the funny bone, Elliot.” Mr. Riley grumbled. 

“No, I joke to relieve tension and not have mental breakdowns,” I explained, still shocked by the situation. 

“Would you like the rest of the day off then?” he asked, obviously shaken up about the ordeal. 

“Yes please. I promise to not make the ceiling come down tomorrow, if you give me the rest of the day off” I plead. 

“Did you bring the tile down?” he gasped.

“Yes with my awesome signing, thanks to my amazing teacher.”

“Flattery will get you nowhere. However, since there is no logical way you could have brought down the tile, I’ll dismiss you. And the rest of you students. We’ll call class early today, so you can play on your phones. As if you weren’t already.”

I sat down at a new desk towards the front. All my thoughts focused on the time. Only 15 more minutes until school was out. 14 minutes. 13 minutes. 12 minutes. Why was this taking so long? Couldn’t time speed up so I could break down at home? 11 minutes. 10 minutes. I am going to Peter’s house after school. Maybe I should tell Peter about my powers. 9 minutes. I’ve known him since we were eleven, so we share everything with each other. Should I share this with him? 8 minutes. How would he react? Would he think it’s weird? Maybe he would think it’s cool. 7 minutes. Or he would lie about thinking it was cool and judge me behind my back. Probably not. 6 minutes. But it could happen. I don’t know how Peter will react. He might hate me for my weirdness. 5 minutes. He didn’t hate me for being non-binary so he shouldn’t hate me too much. What about Skylar? 4 minutes. She is cool with everything. I could admit to having tentacles and she would just make dirty anime jokes. What about Harry? 3 minutes. I barely know him, so how would he react? Should I even tell him? I shouldn’t because I barely know him. It might make him like me more. 2 minutes. Why does that matter though? What about Dad or Heather? They would probably freak out. Dad most of all. 1 minute. Maybe I shouldn’t tell anyone. It is my secret after all. 

RIIINGGG

“Finally,” I muttered dashing out of the room. Despite being on the opposite side of the school, I was one of the first students on the bus. Fifth seat on the left side of the bus. After sitting down, I took in a sharp sigh of relief. I finally got to stop caring what people saw. 

Peter stumbled on the bus, his hands full art supplies He slid down next to me.

I guess I had to keep the act up. 

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Another project?” I gestured to his numerous supplies.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “Mr. Colfer has us working on a super cool but difficult project. First we have to design a superhero and create a painting of them in a cool pose. That ties into the anatomy lesson we’ve been doing. The next half is the part I’m most excited about. We have to design the costume for us to wear. I’m thinking of designing the portal hero I was talking to you about this morning.” 

“That’s really cool. I know you’ve been wanting to get into costume design lately, so it’s good you are getting some practice here at school.”

“I haven’t even told you the best part. In the costume design we have to add a design with a real function. So if someone was creating a fire hero, they might build into the suit a cooling system. We can then take that design and incorporate it into firefighter uniforms. It may be an art class, but this is still a science school.”

“I don’t suppose Mr. Colfer minds if I join in on this project?” I half joked.

“I told you, you should have signed up for Technical Art,” he nagged.

“Then I wouldn’t have been able to take my ASL class,” I explained, “Plus, you know I suck at any type of art. We don’t need a repeat of the Doodle Wars.” We both laughed at the memory of my horrific attempt at bunny, flower, and dragon. 

“Yeah, it might be best if you steer clear of art.”  We joked for the rest of the bus ride. I was thankful he didn’t bring up the fight. Instead we talked about unimportant things that I didn’t really care about. It was nice to just unplug from the stress of the day with a conversation with a friend. 

The conversation didn’t stop until we arrived at Peter’s house. In the living room, I started on my English homework while Peter whipped up some tasty snacks. With fresh stove-popped popcorn, we set out on the adventure of trying to break down Romeo and Juliet. 

“So we have to understand why two hormonal teenagers decided to unalive because of teenage angst.” I groaned, “Not to mention one of them is underage and the other isn’t even a teenager.”

“It is a lot more complicated than that,” Peter explained, “Juliet was threatened with disownment if she didn’t marry a man she didn’t love. And Romeo well, yeah he was just a moody person. His emotions kind of flip-flop all throughout the story. Plus, both of them were carrying a big secret that they couldn’t tell anyone. Imagine the stress that is put on them.”

“Don’t have to imagine,” I absently said.

“What? Elliot, do you need to tell me something?” he worried.

“No. Well kind of, it’s complicated. The thing is you might hate me for it.” I stammered.

“Elliot, I could never hate you. You were the one that helped me open up after my parents’ death. You helped me learn to defend myself. You are my best friend. I will never ever hate you.” he said firmly. 

“Okay. So the thing is-”

“Elliot!” Uncle Ben yelled from upstairs. Something was wrong. My body felt like it was on fire. 

“Elliot!” he yelled again, but this time he was coming from the hallway. Peter and I got up to meet up with him.

“Elliot, we need to go now!” Uncle Ben panicked.

“W-what’s w-wrong,” I stuttered. Nothing rattled Uncle Ben. What happened?

“It’s Heather. She’s been badly injured. The doctors are afraid she might not make it. We have to go to the hospital.” he yelled. He wasn’t yelling out of anger but of fear. We all booked it towards the car. Uncle Ben was pulling out of the driveway before we had even closed the doors. 

The entire way to the hospital I was crying inconsolably. My baby sister might die. What would I do without my annoying sister? She couldn’t die. She couldn’t. Heather was too amazing. Nothing would make sense without Heather. How would the world keep spinning if I didn’t have her to torment me? To pressure me to come out. To sigh at my unfunny jokes. To wreck the kitchen to make amazing desserts. To argue with Dad constantly. She couldn’t die. She couldn’t. 

Peter cried with me, but he tried to comfort me as much as possible. Uncle Ben’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel. He didn’t say a word or shed a tear. We were all beyond terrified. We couldn’t lose Heather. 

The car took a sharp turn into the hospital parking lot. Before the car came to a full stop, I was out of the car, sprinting towards the doors of the emergency room. I threw open the doors. A tremendous crack echoed throughout the busy room. I broke the hinges on the door, but I didn’t care. I ran up to the desk.

“Where is my sister? What room is Heather Elrod in?” I quickly begged the nurse working at the desk. She was probably baffled by the unaccompanied teen demanding a patient’s room, but I was too focused on my sister for courtesy. 

“D-do you have a g-guardian with you or-?” she began to ask before my dad walked up.

“Elliot, thank god you are here. Where is Ben? Didn’t he drive you?” Dad questioned. As he finished his questions, Peter and Uncle Ben ran in. 

“Where is Heather? Is she okay?” I cried. Dad pulled me into a tight hug, as I sobbed into his shirt. 

“She’s being treated right now. The doctors said they could inform us of her condition in three hours.” he assured. We all sat down in the waiting room. Peter paced up and down the small aisle. Uncle Ben stared at the TV but didn’t watch it. Dad got to go and monitor Heather because he was her guardian. I bounced my knee up and down furiously wondering what would happen to my sister. At some point, I must have fallen asleep because next thing I knew, Dad was shaking me awake. 

“We can see Heather now.” he said gravely. We all got up to see her. Aunt May and Skylar were with us now, but I couldn’t remember when they showed up. No one could actually go into the same room as her, but we got to look at her through a window. 

She looked nearly dead. Her normally tan skin was pale as paper. The blonde hair that she took such good care of was cut in a harsh way. Tubes and medical instruments stuck out of her. Machines beeped and blinked meaning she was alive. Heather was alive, but she looked like she wouldn’t be for long. 

Tears slipped down my cheeks. Aunt May wept into Uncle Ben’s shoulder. I think Uncle Ben also cried a little. Peter covered his eyes with his arm as if to block out the horrid sight in front of him. Skylar glared at the machines as if she could will them to make Heather better. Dad refused to look up from the tiles on the floor. 

“She will survive,” the doctor assured, “but she will be paralyzed from the waist down. We have new treatment options, thanks to Stark Industries, so she will be able to walk. Your insurance will also cover all the treatment because it was  from a villain attack.”

“What?” I demanded. The doctor looked surprised.

“Well, since she was injured during a villain attack the insurance plan your family is on will cover all the costs for Heather’s medical treatment.” the doctor explained.

“No, what about the villain attack?” I investigated. 

“The villain got away because there were no heroes around, if that’s what you are asking. Many call him the Shocker. It was a robbery at Orion Lab. Judging from the damage down to the patient’s lower back, it seems she was hit with a direct attack.” the doctor clarified. Dad began to ask the doctor some questions, but I didn’t listen. 

A villain nearly killed my sister. He took away her ability to walk freely. The Shocker was going to pay. I was going to kill him if that’s what it took. Anyone who helped in my sister’s hurt was going to die. I put my hand on the cold glass separating me from my sister. 

“I promise I’ll make him pay.” I promised Heather.

Chapter Text

A/N: There is a dream scene that might be disturbing to some readers. It involves spiders in unsavory places, so be advised. 

A villain nearly killed my sister. He took away her ability to walk freely. The Shocker was going to pay. I was going to kill him if that’s what it took. Anyone who helped in my sister’s hurt was going to die. I put my hand on the cold glass separating me from my sister. 

“I promise I’ll make him pay.” I promised Heather.

The next week was a blur of people apologizing, avoiding, and pitying me. At school no one knew what was happening. Some people discussed the attack, but to them it was just another villain. No one knew what the villain took from me. From my baby sister.

After school, I avoided people as much as possible. I’m sure people were whispering about me, but I couldn’t care less what people thought of me. All that mattered was avenging Heather. Throughout the week I devised a plan to stop the Shocker. He used shock waves to damage property, and he escaped into the chaos. He hit fast and hard. I just had to get there before he disappeared. That meant I had to figure out where he would be next. 

To figure out where and when Shocker would pop up again, I stopped sleeping. There wasn’t enough time in the day to get everything done. Sleep just took up time anyway. There were far more important things that needed my attention. 

Shocker’s patterns of attacks looked random at first glance, but with closer inspection things got complex. His first target was a lab, similar to Orion Lab. The only statement made by the CEO of the company was “We were working on a delicate project. Thankfully we still have the results of most of our tests,” It was odd that Shocker would go after a lab first. Even stranger was that he wasn’t reported stealing anything. The next two robberies were of banks. Common places to rob, as a villain, but once again there were abnormalities. He barely stole over 1 million dollars over both robberies, yet the banks held over 5.6 million each. Then he hit another lab. Again, nothing stolen. After that he took a break. It seemed that he had gone underground because he wasn’t spotted for six months. Until he attacked Orion Lab and nearly killed Heather. 

Orion Labs was connected to the other labs though. All labs were seemingly independently funded endeavors, but they were all owned by the same parent company. Shocker wanted to take a strike at the parent company, but it wouldn’t explain the bank robberies. After some more digging, I found nearly all the answers. The banks weren’t owned by the parent company, but everything clicked. The banks that were robbed were so large that losing a million dollars was chump change, so why take so little? Unless he was being paid to destroy the rival company’s labs. What was in labs that were so important though? Despite all the sleepless hours I drove into the topic, I couldn’t find the answer. 

All I knew was Shocker was working for someone, and the next target was Viribus Testing Grounds. This time no one was going to get hurt, besides the bastard that put my sister in the hospital. 

Every chance I got, I staked out Viribus Testing Grounds. I watched when the sun went down and I ‘went to bed’ all the way to when the sun cooked the ground. After a week of staying on watch with no sleep, things began to go down hill. Every time I sat down, my limbs would turn to lead. My eyes felt like weighted blankets on my swollen eyes. My skin looked pale and dark bags hung under my eyes like a racoon mask. I also neglected showering, so I smelled none too pleasant. My normally silky hair became matted and greasy. Felt like everyone was judging me, and they probably were. At lunch, Peter and Skylar finally confronted me.

“You don’t look too good,” Peter worried on day 6. Maybe it was day 7. The days were starting to blur.

“I’m fine. Top of my game.” I slurred.

“Elliot, your speech is slurring, and you look like you haven’t slept in a week.” Skylar chastised. 

“How did you know?” I laugh weakly, unable to process that I gave myself away.

“You haven’t slept in a week?” Skylar nearly screamed. Her bright hazel eyes searched my eyes for a trace of sarcasm. She found none.

“Jesus, Elliot you are going to kill yourself. Why haven’t you been sleeping?” she gently asked. I was quiet for a moment. 

“I-I...every time I go to sleep, she’s dead. She’s bleeding out and I’m holding the knife. Everyone is there and they scream. Everyone is too loud. Everyone hates me.” I broke. That wasn’t the exact nightmare though. I didn’t stab her. I managed to choke her with my webs, just like in my first ever dream. 

“Elliot…” Peter said.

“It’s all my fault,” I whispered in a horace voice. 

“What happened to Heather is not your fault.” Skylar defended, “What happened to her was an attack that none of us could have prevented because none of us are superheroes. We never will be, which means we have to fight the everyday battles. Your battle today is getting some sleep, Elliot.” 

“I-I can’t,” I cried.

“We’ll stay with you until you wake up,” Peter assured. 

“But what about school?”

“I’ll talk to them,” Skylar comforted, “for now sit here and try and eat. Don’t act like you've been eating lately either. I know you haven’t.” I glanced down at the floor in embarrassment. 

“I had a sandwich two days ago,” I argued.

“Eat your goddamn food, Elliot. I have some calls to make.” Skylar demanded like a mom was talking to a toddler. I nodded and poked at my school lunch. Soon after Skyler was gone, Harry took her spot in front of me.

“Hey, Elliot. You are looking a little rough. Are you okay?” he asked in a panicky tone. 

“I’m fine,” I lied, “I just haven’t been sleeping well.”

“Or at all,” Peter corrected.

“You haven’t slept at all?” Harry interrogated, “What happened? How long has it been since you’ve slept? Why aren’t you sleeping?” 

“Stop with the rapid fire. My brain can barely handle my own inner monologue as is.” I groaned, “Anyway, my sister got really hurt, and now I have nightmares. I can’t sleep without seeing her dying face, so I stopped sleeping. It’s been about a week. I just- I can’t- I won’t-”

“It’s okay, Elliot.” Harry comforted. In support, he grabbed my frigid hand off the table to hold in his warm one. He sat there for a minute rubbing some feeling into my hand. 

“Everything is okay. Your sister is not going to die, Elliot. Everything will be fine. I’m sure whoever hurt your sister will be brought to justice.” he tenderly said.

“I’m sure he will, soon.” I said firmly. The bell signaling the end of lunch rang.

“I’ve-”

“Gotta go. Yeah, yeah I know, Harry. Have a good rest of the day.”

“You too and get some sleep, or else.”

“Or else what?”

“I’ll knock you out so you have to sleep.”

“Good luck getting a hit on me. Remember the five years of boxing?”

“Yes, but you’re dazed right now. I might have an advantage.” 

“Go to class, Harry.”

“Okay. Seriously though, Elliot, sleep.” 

I nodded and waved him off as I picked up my trash from lunch.

“That was adorable.” someone said from my side. I whirled around quickly, only to see Peter practically swooning. 

“I know Skylar is worried about him being a snobby rich boy, but that was just too cute.” he sighed. 

“What are you talking about?” I blinked.

“I’ll blame it on your sleep-addled brain, and explain it to you when you are older.” 

“Okay,” I said slowly, “where is Skylar?” 

“She said- wait, there she is.” he pointed to one of the exits of the cafeteria. 

“We are all getting pulled out of school, and Elliot’s dad will pick us up.” she announced. 

“You made Dad take off work to come pick me up?” I groaned. 

“No, I told him you needed to be taken home. When he asked why, I told him the truth. He was in the car a minute later.” she explained, “Now we all will be staying at your house tonight, Elliot. Think of it like a sleepover, except you will be sleeping, and we will be watching over like naggy parents. Jeez you make me feel old, kid”

“It is practically my job.” I smiled. We all walked to the office together. Soon we were all in the back of Dad’s small car. He was very clearly holding back a lecture. At least I would get to rest before I got scolded. 

Once we got to my house, Peter and Skylar busied themselves with making my sleeping arrangements comfortable. Peter made my bed and fluffed the pillows. Skylar got me a warm glass of milk. They even picked up my room a little bit. One of them cleared all the coffee mugs off my desk and closed my laptop. As I shuffled into my room, Peter was collecting my stray papers that I covered in notes about my investigation. Thankfully, he didn’t press it. As I sunk into my bed, Skylar and Peter each pulled up chairs to the edge of my bed.

“Good night, Elliot.” Peter muttered.

“Go to bed goober, or I’ll drag you into unconsciousness myself.” Skylar joked.

“Funny. You aren’t the first one to threaten that.” I softly said. My body heat was warming the comforter, making the blanket feel like a warm cloud. The fuzziness lulled me even closer to sleep. The pillow supported my head so that I could finally relax my neck muscles. Jeez, they were really tight before. How stressed was I?

“Wait, you else said that?” Skylar asked. I’m sure I smiled at that, but it was lost in the whispers of white noise that ate at my mind. Sleep felt good. It was like every worry I had was removed and unwound. I was at peace.

Then, I started dreaming.

The peaceful whitespace that consumed my vision was replaced with a cold gray. The warmth I felt down to my core faded with the plummeting temperatures. Heather was in front of me again, but she wasn’t dead yet. I could save her!

“Heather!” I yelled and started running towards her. She smiled at me, but spiders fell out of her mouth. I started running faster. Was I getting further away? Her baby blue eyes rolled backwards in her skull, leaving empty eye sockets. All while still smiling.

“Heather! Let me help!” I begged. A vicious axe came down from nowhere. One swipe and Heather’s lower half fell to the floor pooling blood. Her top half remained suspended in the air. Spiders still falling from her upturned mouth. I started crying while running. I was losing her in an even worse way. Suddenly the rubber band that seemed to hold me back, broke. I rushed up to Heather’s falling torso. I caught her. The gushing blood coated my arms and chest. It was warm and slick.

“I-I’ll s-save you-u,” I stuttered, trying not to cry. Tears still slid down my cheeks and mixed with the hot blood.

“You can’t save me, but you can avenge me.” she smiled. She sat rigid and coughed loudly. Then, she stopped moving entirely. Out her mouth crawled a huge spider, that crawled up my hand. I shuddered as its hairy legs brushed up against my exposed arm. It clamped its sharp fangs on my arm. For a second nothing happened.

Then, I was on fire. Everything was agony, and I couldn’t breath. The gray world blinked away, along with Heather’s mangled body. 

Someone was shaking my shoulders violently. Slowly the burning feeling reseeded into the familiar static feeling I had grown to dread. With the feeling of undying dread, I quickly surveyed the room. 

Skylar was holding my shoulders and Peter was staring in panic and worry. My desk was clean. The door was closed, and nothing was threatening. Why was the static still here? 

“Elliot are you okay? You were sleeping fine, then you started muttering to yourself. Suddenly, you were screaming like you were dying. Are you okay? What did you see?” Peter asked. Skylar shot him a glare, clearly upset that he was so forward. Skylar brought me close.

“Heather is okay. You didn’t kill her. You couldn’t save her. You are not the bad guy.” Skylar whispered. 

“She could still die,” I choked. The static wasn’t fading, but my anxiety started demanding more attention. 

“She won’t,” Skylar assured. I nodded knowing she was right. Heather was in the hospital safe from anyone who would hurt her. I just had to do one more thing to insure her total safety. The static enveloped all my senses. All I could see was a building. Viribus Testing Grounds. A tremor shook the building, but it wasn’t any ordinary tremor. Shocker was making his move. My room rushed back to me, too fast. Clutching my spinning head, I stumbled out of bed.  

“What are you doing Elliot?” Peter questioned, as I stumbled to my closet. Before I could come up with a convincing lie, the tremor I heard in the vision shook the house. Car alarms went off outside, and dogs began to bark at the shifting ground.

“What the hell was that?” Skylar panicked. Peter quickly ran out of the room to investigate outside. 

“I’m going with Peter. Stay here and stay safe.” Skylar commanded. She ran to join Peter. 

“I have other plans I’m afraid.” I told the empty room. In the closet I selected the clothes I prepared ahead of time. I couldn’t take down a villain in my normal attire. People would start asking me questions I didn’t want asked. In an attempt to hide my identity I found the least ‘me’ clothes I could. A bright green hoodie, light blue sweatpants, neon orange tennis shoes, and to cover my face, a bright orange beanie. Thankfully, I had already cut out holes in the beanie so I could see. The last thing I needed was eye protection. The welding goggles. With the goggles, my mockery of a costume was complete. 

The problems I was facing were now getting out of the house and getting to Viribus Testing Grounds. To get out the house I crawled out of my window onto the roof. One goal reached. Next was getting to Viribus Testing Grounds quickly. I only had three more minutes until Shocker reached his average destruction time. Then he would make his quick escape, never to be seen again. The bus took 5 minutes to get there on a good day.

Another shockwave pulsed through the earth. A flock of birds flew up to escape the troublesome ground. Maybe that was it. Maybe I didn’t have to travel along the ground. Spiders couldn’t fly, but they could swing. I stood at the edge of my house with my arm held out. I knew this was crazy, but so was I.

Bringing my hand into a ‘I love you’ sign, webs shot from my wrist. The webs latched onto a giant building not too far away. 

“This is insane,” I told myself before jumping. Since I jumped from such a low vantage point, my toes skimmed the ground, but it worked. I came back up into the sky. Another web and another arc. I was swinging through the city! Cars gridlocked below honked with annoyance. People commuted on the busy sidewalks. Everything was normal. From my view everything was new and amazing. Wind rushed past me in a frenzy. The cold wind froze my skin, but my muscles were alive with adrenaline. Building loomed allowing me to swing higher and higher. 

Soon I was near Viribus Testing Grounds, but the labs were much lower than I was. To descend, I brought my arms and legs together. I dove towards the partially destroyed building. I was gaining speed fast. To slow my descent, I shot a web to another far off building. The force to stop myself nearly ripped my shoulder off, even with my increased durability. I wouldn’t be doing that again anytime soon. 

I landed on the exposed second floor, where a voice could be heard. 

“The r-records aren’t h-held here. I-I s-swear.” someone stammered. Something that sounded like a metallic growl came from the same area. Suddenly, a person came careering from through a wall. Then, Shocker stepped through the crumbling wall. 

Shocker very clearly had someone paying for his gear. His suit was padded with a bright yellow grid pattern. An ideal pattern for absorbing stray energy. Over the yellow pads was thick amour. His helmet was the same material as his armor. The really impressive part of his costume were his gloves. They were thick like medieval gloves, but they emitted a low hum and glowed with an interesting, yellow light. 

“P-please. I-I have a-a f-family.” the doctor on the floor pleaded. 

“Don’t we all,” Shocker grumbled. He had a voice modifier that made his voice seem more robotic. To finish off the doctor, he brought up his foreboding gloves. They hummed with more energy.

“Hey, gloves to yourself!” I yelled. To save the doctor, I shot out a web and yanked him closer. Shocker’s shot went through the floor. The building shook.

“Who are you?” Shocker asked, clearly amused.

“I’m the person who’s about to kick your ass.”

Chapter Text

A/N: There is mild violence in this chapter, so be advised. 

“Who are you?” Shocker asked, clearly amused.

“I’m the person who’s about to kick your ass.” A harsh metal scratching echoed across the destroyed building. Shocker was laughing. 

“You are funny,” he creaked, “but you are in my way. Leave and things won’t have to get messy.” 

“I think everything is already messy. Plus, I never got to say thank you for what you did.” I glared, with a joking tone in my voice. 

“Thank me?” he asked.

“Yeah, thank you for a reason to get off my ass.” I shot a web at Shocker’s helmet. The filament covered the lenses. A grunt came from him before I slammed his face into the concrete ground. A cloud of dust shot up blanketing the area around him. The ground shattered with the impact. 

“I suppose it wasn’t much of an exercise.” I smirked. Once the dust fully settled, I realized, Shocker was gone. Static erupted from the left side. Shit. His heavy glove connected with my skull. 

“Amateur,” he growled. My brain spun around in my head. The world was all fuzzy. Were the lights always that bright? Why is my head so light? Oh is that blood? That’s not good. His punch managed to tear the fabric of my makeshift mask exposing my now bleeding temple.

He lunged at me again, but this time I was ready. His left hook soared over my head, leaving his ribs exposed. I threw a sharp jab at his exposed area. That made him stumble to the side a little bit, but he wasn’t anywhere near done. 

“Pretty good for an under equipped Agent.” he muttered. Once again he tried to attack me. Somehow I managed to dodge all of his punches, but I was wearing thin. One hit and I was down for the count, yet I couldn't beat him in hand to hand combat. He was too skilled and a heavy hitter. I had to get creative. He was pinning me into a corner. Little did he know that was where I excelled. 

“Nothing you can do now.” he leered with his creepy robotic voice. His endless onslaught continued to rain down on me.

“Isn’t there?” I smiled. Before he could finish his attempt at a combo, I leapt up toward the ceiling. I attached my fingers to the roof, and kicked hard at Shocker’s head. In his dazed state, I managed to hit him. He grunted. Once I dropped to the floor, I didn’t waste a moment trying to destroy him. With every strike I thought of Heather dying at the hospital. Her gaunt face. Her brittle hair. The endless tubes that took away all the joy she once held. The constant beeping of the monitor that ticked down the seconds until her end. 

Tears blurred my vision, but I didn’t stop. The sorrow I had pushed down into nothing, came rushing back. It tore through me, but started to burn into rage. Rage towards the man that did that to Heather. I was drowning in it, but so was he. It didn’t matter if I went down with the ship. As long as he did too. That is probably why I didn’t care that he wasn't fighting back. 

Suddenly, his gloves discharged a huge wave of energy. I was knocked to the ground. My lungs screamed for air, but I couldn’t get any. Shocker was on top of me.

“What was quite stupid.” he creaked. My instincts kicked in. To get him off me, I bucked my hips. Predictably, he placed his hands on the floor to stabilize himself. I grabbed his right arm and rolled. Now, I was on top, and he was stunned. Swiftly, I brought my elbow down to his face. Again and again, until the tension faded from his body. I knocked him out.

I managed to defeat Shocker. 

I, Elliot Elrod, had defeated a villain. 

Now what did I do? 

Should I… kill him? 

No. Killing is wrong. Plus, he is unconscious. I can’t kill him.

But he nearly killed Heather.

Nearly. She is okay. There is no point to punishing hypotheticals.

Then, I should paralyze him. I know he did that to Heather. 

No. No hurting him. The police will take care of him.

But what if he gets out?

Okay, then. To stop that from happening I should probably stop staring at him and do something. 

I ended up taking off his impressive gloves to get a closer look at them. Sirens could be heard from a far distance. A reasonable part of my brain told me to run, but something held me back. His gloves were feats of scientific achievement. There was no way he could have built these in his basement. Shocker had to be working with someone, but who? Setting the gloves down, I webbed him up. Once the villain was wrapped up in a web cocoon, I turned to leave. Yet, something was nagging at me. The fighting style had seemed so familiar. 

I needed to know who was under the mask. 

Plus it would make him easier to identify for the police who were getting closer. 

I placed my hands on the side of the mask and yanked up. There was a loud crack. Clearly, that was not how you were meant to take off the mask. Nevertheless, I continued to lift up the mask to reveal…

“Mr. S-Schultz,” I muttered. He was Skylar’s dad. He was the one who encouraged me to do jiu-jitsu. He was there when I broke my arm climbing the lemon tree in their backyard. We baked cookies together for the past four Christmases. He was like family. But he hurt Heather. Nearly killed her. Took away her ability to walk. Suddenly, he began to stir. He groaned and tried to move, only to find he couldn’t. He snapped to attention. Seeing his mask in my hands, he stiffened. 

“Heh, to think an Agent finally got me.” he laughed, “Well make it quick.”

“What?” I stuttered. My mind was still reeling. 

“You know he won’t use me anymore since I’ve been revealed. I’m a useless pawn.” he said confused as to why I was asking. 

“Who is he?” I asked.

“Surely you know, or does your boss keep you more in the dark then mine does.” he chuckled sarcastically. 

“My boss?” I wondered.

“Yes. God, did anyone explain anything to you?” he said annoyed, “I was sent here to destroy the data from an experiment, and you stopped me. Because that’s what you people do. Honestly it’s really fucking annoying, but it pays the bills.” 

“W-who do you w-work for?” I shakily interrogated.

“He’ll kill me anyway, so why the hell not. Seeing as who you already have this information. I work for Dr. Curt Connors.” he explained.

“What?” My stomach dropped.

“How thick are you? For an Agent you sure are stupid. And chatty for that matter. Weren’t you all designed never to speak?” he angrily asked. 

“I’m not an Agent. Whatever that is.”

“What?”

“I’m not an Agent.”

“Then why are you here?”

“You hurt someone I love, and I decided to hurt you back.”

“Well, if you really want to hurt the one responsible for their pain, you need to go after Curt Connors. He orchestrated all my ‘outings’.”

“Why should I believe you? You are selling your own boss out after all.” He was quiet for a moment. The sirens were now right outside. Shouts could be heard from the ground floor.

“He was threatening my family,” he admitted, “I worked for him as a scientist, but once I designed the gloves for him, everything changed. I was the only one who could work the gloves to their full extent, so he told me I got a promotion.” He belted a loud, bitter laugh “I had been promoted to grunt worker. My family would be set for life, and I just had to get my hands a little dirty. If not, I would lose my family.” Tears began to stain his eyes.

“I couldn’t lose my little sky or my husband.” he cried. I looked down at the mask in my hands. The lenses reflected my own image back at me. A bloody, orange mask with goggles. I looked so emotionless. Nothing like how I felt. Nothing like how I wanted to be. 

“I-I don’t think I can ever fully forgive you,” I said, “but I can tell you this. I will protect your family. I will take down Connors. He will pay for all the pain he has caused the both of us. I promise.” He smiled.

“You won’t be able to. This is so much bigger than you think it is, little one.” 

“Then I’ll get bigger because Connors will pay. Even if it’s the last thing I do.”

“Why? Why put yourself in so much danger for one person?” Heavy footsteps could be heard from the stairwell. The police would be here soon.

“This isn’t all for one person. I’m protecting my family. They ground me. They help me grow. I couldn’t survive without them.”

“That gives me an idea,”

“What?”

“Garden Spider. It might be a good hero name.”

“Why would I take my superhero name from a villain?”

“Who says I’m the villain?” Static began creeping up my spine. The police were close. I began to walk toward the open wall.

“I would say all this property damage.” He laughed a real and genuine laugh.

“Goodbye, Mr. Sc-Shocker.”

“Goodbye, Garden Spider.”

Police began to swarm the room, but I was already swinging away. They took Mr. Schultz to an armored van, but before he got in it, he saw me. I perched on a ledge near the collapsing lab. He nodded to me. The same nod that I had associated with his fatherly love. Then, he was in the van, being carried off to a containment center, until his trial. 

Despite reaching my original goal, I knew I couldn’t hang up the mask yet. The one who hurt Heather was still out there. Curt Connors was still out there. I was going to bring him down, no matter what. I had two promises to keep now.

Chapter Text

Despite reaching my original goal, I knew I couldn’t hang up the mask yet. The one who hurt Heather was still out there. Curt Connors was still out there. I was going to bring him down, no matter what. I had two promises to keep now.

Swinging across the city was the perfect thing to distract me from the insanity I had just witnessed and participated in. I had to focus on where the web would land, and how fast I was going. Where I was, and where I was going. It was a lot of work, but it kept my head clear. The frigid wind and fading sun also kept the irrational part of my brain from running in circles. On top of that my head throbbed where Shocker hit me, and my elbow couldn’t fully extend. I guess the helmet was effective at blocking some of the blows.

After three wrong turns and hitting two lamp posts, I made it home. Skylar was pacing in the yard with Peter sitting on the swing chair on the porch. I considered swinging over to them in full superhero attire, but I decided against it. I had enough issues already. Somehow I managed to sneak into my room, through the window, unnoticed. 

Quickly, I changed into normal clothes and climbed out the window again. There was no way I could sell the lie that I was hiding in my room for the last hour and a half. I pulled a hoodie on and flipped the hood up to hide my cut. Instead I climbed down my house onto the sidewalk. From there I took a light jog further away from the house. Then, I walked back just like a person would after a walk around the neighborhood. As soon as I rounded the corner Skylar started yelling.

“Where the hell were you!” she screamed.

“I took a walk,” I replied calmly. She started angrily rushing towards me, but I strolled past her to sit on the porch swing with Peter. He was bouncing his knee up and down in a nervous fashion. 

“So, where did you walk to?” he asked, trying to diffuse the situation. 

“The playground.” I answered. My eyes were tracking the birds far off in the distance. They looked like big birds.

“The playground? It took you an hour and a half to walk to the playground? That is only a twenty minute walk at best. Why are you lying to me?” Skylar accused furiously. The birds circled around a house. Even they seemed nervous at the building tension.

“I decided to embrace my inner-child while I was there.” I said in a monotone voice. I didn’t have the energy to put any emotion into my words. That just made Skylar more upset.

“No because your dad looked at the playground thirty minutes ago, and you weren’t there. He’s been worried sick! You left without your phone so suddenly. We thought you had been kidnapped or something. Why would you do that?” Skylar demanded. 

“Guys let’s all calm down. Elliot is safe now so-” Peter tried.

“Why can’t you all just leave alone?” I snapped, “Just believe that I was at the playground and move on with your day!”

“No more lies!” Skylar yelled.

“I-I can’t t-take anymore l-lies,” she cried softly. 

“W-what happened?” I asked, already knowing the answer. 

“M-my dad h-he was- is? He i-is the S-shocker.” she stuttered. Tears dripped from her chin. The wind stirred the still grass. A dog barked in the distance. The orange sun rays made the scene look like it was encased in amber. A moment frozen in time. 

“He hurt Heather.” I said flatly. She paused for a moment.

“Y-yes.”

“Then, he deserves to be locked up.”

“How can you say that, Elliot? After all he’s done for you? He basically raised you! He raised me! How can you turn on him so quickly?” 

“He turned on us first. He hurt Heather. She was like another child to him. We all were, but he ruined that as soon as he put on those gloves.” She was quiet again. Her breaths were ragged from her crying.

“Why did he do that?” she whispered.

“What?” I asked. She broke down falling to the floor weeping. 

“Why would he tear our family apart?” she sobbed. Peter and I both got up to comfort her. I wrapped my arms around her shaking body, and so did Peter. 

“It’s not your fault, Skylar. It’s not your fault.” I whispered.

“W-what if i-it is?” she cried. Her tears started to stain my shirt.

“It’s not,” 

“H-how d-do you k-know?” she gasped, unable to fully inhale. 

“That’s not the man he is.”I explained. Tears began to slide down my face too, but I didn’t let my voice shake, “Despite all he has done, I still love him. He was there for me when I needed him, just like any parent. I just don’t know if I can forgive him yet. You don’t have to either. We can still love him even though he hurt us.” 

We all cried together in a huddle on the lawn, until Dad got home. He ushered us inside and started to cook dinner for us. While cooking he also gave a scolding for running off, but it wasn’t nearly as harsh as Skylar’s. I think he knew that she had already laid it on me. He cooked a normal meal, grilled chicken with green beans from the can and box mashed potatoes. Even though it was completely average, I ate it thinking it was the best meal ever.

I need a little average in my day.

The sun dipped below the horizon, as we marched into my room. Skylar and Peter gathered blankets and pillows to sleep on. I nestled into my bed, mind still whirling. Everyone got comfortable and the room fell silent. Crickets chirped. Dogs barked. Cars drove past. Kids laughed. My body ached with post-fight pain. None of us could sleep. 

“I can't sleep,” Skylar announced. I sat up.

“I can’t either,” Peter agreed.

“This sounds stupid, but could you sleep on the floor with us, Elliot?” Skylar asked. I swung my legs out of bed and stepped carefully over to the nest of blankets. Peter moved to the side so I could lay in between the two of them. I worked my way under the heavy blankets. The warmth helped ease my running thoughts. Skylar and Peter moved closer, until we were all curled up together. Everyone’s breath slowed. We all drifted off to a peaceful sleep.

No visions. No nightmares. Nothing. Just the warm nothing of sleep. Then, I woke up. An arm was draped across my chest, and Peter was cuddling my legs. Skylar’s eyebrows were tense making her ridiculous sleeping position even more odd. Her arm was on my chest, but her arm was bent to mimic a ballerina. Her legs were in an applesauce position. A small chuckle escaped my lips. Peter stirred in his sleep. He stayed down, muttering about batty bananas.

With a well placed web and extreme patience, I extracted myself from the sleep pile without waking anyone. I was getting more comfortable with using my powers. During the long nights, I often played with my powers. Managing my strength. Aiming webs. Sticking hands and unsticking feet. It was difficult at first, but it kept me up when coffee started to wear off. I also noticed the cut on my head was nearly fully healed. My elbow no longer ached to move. Three cheers for super healing. 

I walked downstairs to see Dad sitting at the kitchen table. He was sitting at the head of the table with his head in his hands. He seemed sad. Something that felt like cool water dripped down my spine. It was like a weaker static feeling. Before I could puzzle out what it meant, Dad spotted me. 

“Hey bug. We need to talk.” he said. Not angrily or sternly. Just in a tired tone, like he hadn’t slept. 

“Morning, Dad.” I chirped. My brain was still groggy, but I felt good. Happy, even.

“We need to talk,” The dreaded words of every teenager. 

“Yes, Dad?”

“Good news or bad news first?”

“Bad news, I guess.” 

“Okay. Herman was arrested on allegations of being the Shocker. The same villain that hurt Heather, but you know all that. His trails are being set up right now. I figured you would want to know. The other point is more or less neutral.” He paused. He sighed before continuing.

“I know you snuck out of the house yesterday. I also know that you haven’t been sleeping lately. I know why too. There was nothing you could have done, Elliot! You didn’t even know she was in danger. Even if you did, you don’t have powers. You couldn’t have saved her, so please stop killing yourself over the possibilities. Heather is fine. You are fine. Your friends are fine. I’m fine. Everything is fine. So why are you so high strung over it?” My hands shook. Should I tell him? My breath trembled. Maybe I should. My head drooped. I need to tell Dad.

“The truth is…” I stammered, “I feel like I have saved her. I failed as an older sibling. I was supposed to keep her safe, but she got hurt. She nearly died! I feel like I’m a failure. If only-”

“Don’t start that ‘if only’ talk, Elliot. It leads nowhere good. Do you want to know how I know? I did that. I do that. I did that when I split up with your mom, but it doesn’t matter how many situations you come up with. All of them will end the same way. You just hurt yourself over and over again. I don’t want you to go through the same pain I did.”

“You mentioned Mom.”

“Yeah, I did, but she’s not the point. The point is breaking the ‘if only’ cycle. I love you too much to see you go through that pain.” 

“Okay. I’ll try.”

“And that’s all I ask. Now good news. Your brother, Gregory is coming into town soon. He will be living with us for a while.”

“Why? Doesn’t he have college?”

“He’ll be working as a virtual student,”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

“He… he will be here to help with Heather. I’m worried I won’t be able to fully help her, so I asked him to come home to help.”

“If Heather finds out, she’ll be livid. You know she can take care of herself!”

“She could! Now…now it is different. Things won't be able to fully go back to normal. Things will never be normal again. She will have to come to understand that.” 

“...Okay,”

“I love you, bug.”

“I love you too, Dad.” He wrapped me into a slightly awkward hug, but it was still nice. 

“So what do you want for breakfast?” he asked lightly.

“Sunny-side-up eggs and bacon of course.” I scoffed.

“Okay, okay. No need to be so sassy!” he teased.

“I’m a teenager. Sassy is a part of the job requirement.” I joked in a flat tone. Dad got up to make food. After a few minutes, heavenly scents started to waft from the kitchen. This lured Skylar and Peter downstairs. 

“Is that bacon I smell?” Skylar cooed. 

“I’ll never understand everyone’s obsession with bacon.” Peter said.

“That’s because you have your brain wires crossed.” I explained. We conuited to tease Peter about his aversion to bacon throughout the morning. After that we worked on the previous day’s work. Then we watched science documentaries. Skylar fell asleep, but Peter was sketching. He seemed very invested in the drawing. He didn’t even try and mock the narrator like he usually did. 

“What are you drawing?” I asked.

“Oh,” He looked up, breaking out of his trance, “it’s kind of stupid.”

“Come on! Your art is always amazing. Let me see, please!” I begged. I held out my hands like a toddler wanting a new toy. He laughed and handed over his sketchbook.

“I drew an outfit for the hero that took down Shock- I mean- Mr. Schultz. The police said the hero was wearing some pretty normal looking clothes, so I thought I could draw up an outfit for them. Every superhero needs a good costume.” he said sheepishly.

I couldn’t believe it. The bodysuit was orange with overlays of webs. The boots and sides were a bright, lime green. It had the hood and ridiculous goggles. The best part was the symbol in the center of the chest. A spider. 

“It’s perfect,” I whispered.

“What?” Peter wondered.

“Uh, it’s amazing!” I remedied.

“Thanks! I think it looks really good. I’m thinking of making it for fun. It is pretty simple, so it wouldn’t take very long.” he planned out loud.

“Sounds good.” I told him, but I wasn’t listening to him. I had a plan of my own. 

The next night, I dressed in my ragged costume. The light blue pants were ripped at the knees. The hoodie was saturated with dust and small cuts covered it. The beanie had a huge tear at the temple. Thankfully the goggles were uncracked. They may look stupid, but they were dear to me. To mask my voice, I grabbed a voice modifier I had been fiddling with.

I crawled out the window onto the roof. Dad’s room light was out. Good. I didn’t need Dad discovering I was sneaking out. Then again, I was only going to visit Peter. Only difference was Peter wouldn’t know it was me. 

After quickly swinging over to Peter’s house, I rapped sharply on his window. His light was still on. He was probably playing games, like the nerd he was. Then again, if I didn't have powers I probably would be playing games right now too. Peter appeared in the window with a startled expression.

“Who are you?” he asked after he opened the window.

“I’m shocked you don’t recognize me, but I guess we never met face to face. I’m Garden Spider. The newest and bestest hero on the block.” I said with fake swagger. The voice modifier made my voice drop a few octaves making me sound much more masculine.

“You are Garden Spider?” he questioned.

“Yes. Now could you invite me in, kid? I have some business I would like to discuss with you.” I answered. 

“Stranger danger is a thing you are aware of, right?” he said before trying to close the window. Before he could, I held open the window enough for me to crawl in. I climbed along the wall, careful to avoid his numerous posters. I landed with a flip and pretended to admire his room. 

“Nice room. Very nerdy. I can appreciate that.” I complimented. 

“You-you really are Garden Spider. A real-life superhero!” he gushed.

“I’m no hero. I just punched someone who punched me first.” I explained, trying to get the tone of awe out of my friend’s voice. 

“S-so what d-do you need G-garden Spider?” he asked.

“I heard from a little birdie that you had a suit for me.” 

“Yes. Well, kind of. I drew a design, but how did you find me?” 

“Um- I saw it online, and just knew I had to have it.” I lied.

“But why not just commission someone to make it anonymously?” 

“You know what they say. Support local businesses!”

“Okay, but I’ll have to take measurements.”

“Already have them,” I handed over a note with scribbles on it.

“Got it. I’ll burn this once I finish with it.”

“Why would you do that?”

“So it remains a secret. It’s information on your secret identity! I would never keep that.”

“Oh. Thanks.” I stood there for an awkward moment. 

“Um- I don’t mean to sound greedy, but how will you pay for this? I’ll give you a superhero discount, but it will still be around $175.”

“High quality. High prices.” I joked. That was over half of my savings. Worth it.

“Now, I’ll return in a week at this time to collect my new outfit. Later los- civilian.” I said before jumping out the window. I swung far away from the house. After changing and stashing clothes, I hurried home. I snuck inside and laid in bed to sleep. A few restless minutes, I fell into a half sleep. 

Then, my body dropped into a new scene. 

Curt Connors was standing in a lab. He was working on a project, but quickly got frustrated with it. He dragged his arm across the table, knocking the tubes and papers onto the floor. An attendant rushed forward to clean it up. Once that was done she tried to ease the doctor’s concerns.

“What is wrong, doctor?” she asked.

“Nothing is working,” the doctor growled.

“Perhaps you should take a break? You have logged over 18 hours today alone. Your daughter has called you over ten times, and your wife has tried to visit you.” she suggested.

“I don’t have time. He is demanding results, but I have none. Not to mention we just lost our most valuable pawn. He will not be pleased. I have to keep working.” he explained.

“It was just a suggestion, doctor. I wish you luck.” the attendant said before departing. 

“I’ll need luck to deal with him.” he muttered before pulling out his phone. To dial the mysterious ‘he’, Connors put his phone on the counter to type with his hand. He put the caller on speaker phone. On the third ring he answered. 

“What is it?” the caller demanded.

“As you know, Shocker has been compromised. We are also no closer to unlocking the serum.” Doctor Connors explained.

“Then why did you call me?” he angrily yelled.

“Because I know how to unlock it.” the doctor smiled.

“Well, spit it out!” 

“We just need to collect a rogue sample. The media is calling them Garden Spider.”

“I’ll make the necessary arrangements to collect them. Keep working on the serum, though. We can’t let him get the upper hand.”

“Of course. Goodbye sir.” The doctor hung up. 

“God, I hate him.” he said before returning to work. 

I sat upright in bed. The sun was shining brightly outside my window. Birds chirped a melodious tune. Children laughed as they played games outside. I seemed to be the only miserable one. My head was pounding. My throat was parched. Sweat beaded across my body. My skin seemed too tight for my body. I felt like shit.

I spent the rest of the day trying to nurse myself back to health. Playing a game. Watching a movie. Cooking chicken soup. Going to bed at a reasonable hour. I slept without any dreams all through the night. I slept peacefully all through the week. Just like school which was relatively boring all week. 

When I picked up my new costume everything clicked. Peter tried to start a conversation, but I was too eager to try out my costume to be polite. I paid and rushed out. I changed into the outfit. It fit like a glove. It was perfect. My chest felt light with pride for Peter. I needed to show this off. 

I walked up to the base of a tall building. I got a lot of strange looks from the late night pedestrians, but they didn’t matter. I had something I wanted to do. Breathe in deep. Exhale. Inhale. Now.

I run full speed at the wall of the building. Someone gasped. As soon as I reached the wall, I began to climb. First on all fours. I heard mummers from below, but they didn’t matter. Then I started to get the hang of things. I slowly crept up to my feet and began to run. I laughed. I was running on the side of a building! Once I reached the top, I crouched on a rail. I took a deep breath. Exhale. Inhale. Now. I dove off the building. 

Wind whistled past my ears. Screams echoed from below. Someone pulled out their phone. One flick of my wrist and I was soaring the other direction. I screamed in joy. This was where I was meant to be. I was Garden Spider. I had some garden upkeep to take care of because Connors was poisoning my city. I was going to stop him, no matter what it took.

Chapter Text

Something was off. That’s how I started my Monday. The worst way to start it. 

A cloud of dread followed me throughout the chilly house. The autumn weather was slowly giving away to a much less forgiving season, and I could feel it in the unheated house. I grumbled to myself as I turned up the thermostat. Before the heat for my body could dissipate, I curled back up into bed. Before I was rudely awoken by my alarm, I was dreaming. It was a pleasantly horrid dream. The kind that was nice at the moment, but once you woke up you saw all the holes in the beauty. 

Heather was there. She was smiling and happy. Sklar and Peter were playing tag with her. They were all laughing and running. It was fun to watch. I was propped up on someone’s shoulder. They were also laughing. Everything was perfect.

“Elliot. You have to get up. You can’t sleep in anymore. Twenty minutes and we’re out the door.” Dad said from my doorway. My eyes snapped open. I became hyper aware of how alone I was. No one was laughing. No one was playing. No one was with me. 

“Get out of your head.” I ordered myself. With a lot of hesitance, I pulled back the warm blankets and stood up in the cool room. Quickly I changed into warmer school clothes. A white dress shirt, thick school sweater, and khaki pants. Perfect. I marched down stairs to a warmer kitchen. 

“Oh is that grits and bacon I smell?” Grits are a porridge-like meal that I love to eat with a bit of bacon and too much cheese. 

“Maybe, but you’ll have to eat them quickly. We can’t be late getting you to school.” Dad said.

“No problem,” In a few minutes my bowl was cleared out, and I was brushing my teeth upstairs. Dad walked up and leaned on the door frame. 

“So Gregory will be coming into town soon,” he started, “and he will need a room. I was thinking that Heather would want her own room, so I’m going to move her into my room, since it is on the ground floor. I’ll take her room, and you will share a room with Gregory.”

“Okay,” I droned.

“Before you argue, I- wait what?” 

“I understand, Dad. I know this is hard on all of us. You just want to make it easiest on Heather. I agree with your decision.”

“Good, it’s just don’t you ah- dislike Gregory?” 

“Absolutely. He drives me mad, but I’ll deal with him. He is my brother after all.”

“Okay. Thank you, Elliot. This means a lot to me.” 

“It is really no problem. Just make sure he can’t have anyone over after like 10 PM because he is annoying enough by himself.”

“I’ll try. Now, let’s go.”

As we drove to my school, New York woke up around me. Then again, New York never truly sleeps. Rowdy college students were stumbling for cabs, but so were tired mid-aged adults. Lights of bars clicked off. Open signs on the bodegoes lit up. Morning joggers wove around party goers that still clung to the excitement of the night.  It was a transition period from night to day. 

We pulled up to the school. A few students walked around, looking more undead then ready to learn. Skylar and Peter weren’t here yet. That meant I had to stand around like a weirdo until they got here. What if someone tried to talk to me?

I despise Mondays. 

Dad dropped me off and drove off. A small trickle of cars replaced him. I stood by the open gates, hopefully Skylar or Peter would get here soon. Until then, I had some zombies that wanted to destroy my garden that I needed to fight off. I pulled out my phone to play the game. Before I could start, my spine tingled. Someone nearby was going to fall. They would be falling right.. There. I stuck my arm out to stabilize them. A thin boy fell on my arm. He would have face planted, if my arm hadn’t caught him.

“Woah, I did not know you were there. Thank you for saving me.” he thanked. His lush, blue hair was swept to one side of his head with the other half shaved. His milky eyes looked at my chest because that’s where his eye level was. He had the standard school jacket and pants for the school. His ears held a whole solar system of earrings. A small, pale scar on his left cheek.

“It was no problem, really. I’m really just in the way.” I shrugged.

“No way. You’re my hero. I don’t suppose I could have my hero’s name, could I?” he asked.

“I’m Elliot Elrod.” I greeted. Without thinking, I stuck out my hand for him to shake. His eyes stayed fixed on my chest without even glancing at my hand. I cringed at myself.

“Oh you’re-” 

“Blind?” he supplied. “Visually impared? Unable to see? I’ve heard it all before. No need to point it out.” 

“Fair enough. Anyway, what’s your name?” I asked.

“I’m Jasper Jules. Nice to meet you, Elliot.” he greeted.

“Nice to meet you too, Jasper. I know we just met, but could you do me a favor?” I questioned.

“Wow, quite forward of you, but since you saved me, I’ll humor you.” he laughed.

“It’s not that bad, honestly. I just want someone to stand with me, until my friends get here. Believe it or not I’m not a very social person.” I explained.

“No problem. Anything for a friend.” 

“Friend?”
“Of course. I need friends. You have no friends here, so we are in a situation where we can both benefit. What do you say?”

“I won’t object to getting a new friend.” We chatted for another ten minutes, before I heard a familiar pair of voices arguing. 

“No way he is a literal alien!” Peter exclaimed.

“So? He is lame and a cartoon, but Captain America is awesome.” Skylar countered.

“Goku can harvest life energy!” he yelled.

“After thirty episodes,” she snickered. 

“There is no way Captain America would survive even one punch from Goku. Elliot, you understand right?” he asked.

“Hm. I have to side with Skylar on this one. Mostly because I don’t believe in the power of anime and all that.” I answered. Peter placed a hand on his chest in shock.

“I can’t believe it. Both of my friends gang up on me. I’ve been so betrayed.” he sighed.

“I also think Goku would win in a fight,” Jasper piped in, “after all, he is one of the most powerful people on Earth.”

“See,” Peter gestured towards Jasper, not fully looking at him, “he agrees with me! Wait what’s your name?” Peter looked to Jasper and gave a small gasp.

“I know I make all the guys’ knees weak. How unfortunate that I can’t see my own beauty.” he joked. Peter glanced up and down Jasper, a blush creeping up his face. 

“N-no I j-just didn’t know y-you were blind,” Peter stuttered. 

You liar I signed at him. He glared at me, and Jasper just laughed.

“I suppose that could cause some shock.” he thought out loud.

“Y-yeah,” Peter nodded.

“Anyway, I’m Jasper Jules. Nice to meet you…”

“Hm. I mean- I’m Peter. Parker. Peter Parker. That’s you. I mean- that’s me.” 

Smooth I signed. Skylar, knowing how to fluently sign, made exaggerated gestures at Peter that I couldn't interpret. His face was fully flushed. 

“D-do you need a-any h-help getting t-to your class?” Peter asked.

“Nope, I’m good. Despite my affliction, I’m quite good at navigating. I’ll see you all later.” Jasper said slyly before walking through the gates. 

“You dork,” I said once Jasper was in the building.

“You love-sick puppy,” Skylar gripped.

“I-I don’t k-know what y-you guys are talking about.” Peter chuckled nervously.

“Why are you two off finding partners? Why can’t I have someone to swoon over, once you two leave me?” Skylar whined.

“Wait. Who am I ‘swooning over’?” I wondered.

“Please leave me that’s a joke,” Peter said.

“Did you forget about Harry Osborn? The one you were cuddling with on the bus?” she interrogated.

“Plus, he came up to you the day we left early. You two seemed a little too close for ‘just friends’.” he teased.

“Oh my goodness. You two are the worst,” I huffed, “but never mind that. Let’s get going before the bell rings. We don’t need to be tardy.” We all shuffled into the building heading to Miss Hatter’s class. A comfortable silence wove through the group. The break in conversation allowed my warm face to cool a little. Me with Harry Osborn? Never going to happen. Nope. Couldn’t. Right? What a ridiculous idea.

At lunch I was absent picking at my food. Skylar was laughing with her friends about some new fashion magazine. Peter was pouring over his virtual comics. I was bored out of my skull. I was until Harry sat down next to me. Skylar eyed us up and down, but before she could do anything, her friends distracted her. 

“Hey,” he smiled. His cologne wafted off of him, filling my nose with hints of paper and coffee. 

“What’s up?” I greeted. All the jokes Peter and Skylar made this morning bubbled up in my mind. Before they could fester any longer, I pushed them aside to focus on what Harry was saying.

“Nothing much. Just relatively easy classes. What about you?” he asked.

“Um, my sister will be coming home in a few weeks. Only problem is my brother, Gregory, will also be coming home. He can be kind of annoying, so that might be a problem.” I admitted. 

“That might be an issue. I think. I don’t have any siblings so I wouldn’t know.” Harry bumbled. 

“My normal response would be ‘lucky,’ but after the past few weeks, I pity you a little bit. A sibling is like a built-in best friend. Sure, they make you angry and push all your buttons, but in the end you both love each other. You both grow as people next to each other. They are there for you when you have no one else, and that’s why I pity you.” I rambled. Harry stared at me sadly.

“Sorry,” I apologized, “I’ve just been thinking a lot lately.” 

“No need to apologize. I don’t mind your rambling. I kind of enjoy it, actually.” he explained. A blush started to gather on his cheeks.

“Thanks,” I  said awkwardly. We sat there in an odd silence for a little while. 

“So, I have something that might interest you.” Harry brought up.

“What is it?” I asked, thankfully for a break in the tension. 

“Dr. Connors was really impressed with your intuitiveness, and he needs an assistant so… He wanted to hire you as an intern. At Oscorp. I would be working there too, by the way.” he shared. Dr. Connors. The one who instructed Shocker. The one who led to Heather getting hurt. The one who needed to pay.

“Oh,” I managed.

“Yeah. So… would you want to work with me? And Dr. Connors of course. Because he is the lead scientist and what not.” he stammered. 

This was my way into Oscorp. I was going to figure out why Connors was attacking random laboratories. Why he hired Shocker. Who his boss was. I was going to find the answers to everything. All I needed to do was say yes. Then I’d be able to get into Oscorp undetected. 

“Yeah. I’ll work with you and Dr. Connors.” I smiled. 

You are going down Connors.

You will pay dearly.

Chapter Text

“Dr. Connors was really impressed with your intuitiveness, and he needs an assistant so… He wanted to hire you as an intern. At Oscorp. I would be working there too, by the way.” he shared. Dr. Connors. The one who instructed Shocker. The one who led to Heather getting hurt. The one who needed to pay.

“Oh,” I managed.

“Yeah. So… would you want to work with me? And Dr. Connors of course. Because he is the lead scientist and what not.” he stammered. 

This was my way into Oscorp. I was going to figure out why Connors was attacking random laboratories. Why he hired Shocker. Who his boss was. I was going to find the answers to everything. All I needed to do was say yes. Then I’d be able to get into Oscorp undetected. 

“Yes. I’ll work with you and Dr. Connors.” I smiled. 

You are going down Connors.

You will pay dearly.

“Cool!” Harry beamed. My head snapped back to him. Oh yeah. I was still eating lunch, not being a superhero. Well, not yet.

“So I’ve heard rumors of the Shocker incident being related to Oscorp, Harry. How true do you think that is? I mean, does someone run an evil corporation from inside the company?” I questioned in a joking manner. I needed to know what he knew.

“You know the media. They will try and pin anything and everything on people with money.” Harry waved off. 

“Did you guys hear about the hero that stopped him though?” Peter asked, his eyes shining.

“Yeah. I heard they were some type of weird bug person.” Harry chimed in.

“It doesn't matter who they are.” Skylar steamed.

“Whoa, Skylar. Why are you so upset?” Harry unwisely asked.

“Why do I have to explain anything to you, rich boy?” she snapped.

“I’m sorry,” he said, flustered, “I was just wondering since I thought we were friends and everything that-”

“We. Are. Not. Friends.” she growled. Before another apology could be uttered, she stood up to leave. She stormed out of the cafeteria with thunderous steps. For a little while the lunch room was silent, but slowly the noise level started to rise. 

“Sorry about her,” Peter muttered, “she is sort of tied up in the Shocker case. We all are really.”

“Wh- I mean- Do you mind telling me why?” Harry asked.

“You can’t tell anyone,” Peter whispered, “so the Shocker was one of Skylar’s dads. Herman Shultz. We all are taking it pretty hard. He was like a father to the four of us, but Skylar is the most hurt out of all of us.” 

“Four of you?” Harry wondered.

“Yeah. Elliot, Skylar, Heather and I.” Peter supplied.

“Heather? Oh- they’re your sister who... got hospitalized… by a villain. What, did Shocker- or Mr. Shultz- do that to Heather?” Harry interrogated.

“Yes.” I said. Both the boys looked at me, as if they forgot I was there.

“Oh, um. I’m sorry.” he mumbled. 

“There was nothing you could have done. Why are you sorry?” I droned, before taking a bite of tasteless food.

“Um-well- I guess I’m sorry that this happened to you. You seem like such a wonderful person, so I don’t see why you have to go through this. I can’t even begin to imagine what this all must feel like.” he said softly. He wrapped his arms around me and held tight. It was a little awkward because we were sitting on a bench connected to the table, but it was nice anyway. My lip trembled and tears threatened to fall. I couldn’t break down here. I could not.

“Thanks,” I exhaled, hoping my voice wasn’t shaky.

“No problem. I just want you to know you aren’t alone.” Harry comforted. He pulled back and grabbed my ever-cold hands in his warm ones. Then he smiled at me. A small almost bitter smile, that caused a small blush to crawl across my cheeks. 

“So…” Peter interrupted. Harry flushed and dropped my hands, turning to him, “what do guys think of the new hero? I heard they were called Garden Spider.”

“Oh. Yeah, I thought they were pretty cool. I heard that they got a new costume recently. Some pictures were taken by a few pedestrians.” Harry said, while fishing for his phone in his pocket.

“What about you Elliot? What do you think about Garden Spider?” Peter asked.

“Oh. Um- they’re okay. I mean the costume is a little much, but they aren’t bad?” I stammered. 

“You don’t have any strong feelings on them? Normally when a new hero arrives on the scene you are all over them.” Peter said confused. Harry was still scrolling on his phone looking for pictures. 

“Well, I don’t know. They just-ah- don’t really seem like that much of a hero.” I managed. 

“Is this because of our ties to the Shocker case?” he asked in a low voice so no one overheard. 

“Yes,” I said a little too excitedly, “yeah. I just don’t know how to feel about them because on the one hand, they took down the bad guy. On the other hand, I- um- they took down a father figure of mine.” 

“Here they are!” Harry announced triumphantly. He showed us a few photos. Most of them were orange blurs swinging through the city. The only clear one was taken from a home surveillance system. I was crouched on the edge of a building, arms out for balance. My glance was just off the line of the camera. The goggles reflected the harsh glare of the flood light. 

“Cool,” I said unenthusiastically. 

“Woah it turned out way better than I thought it would!” Peter squealed. 

“What are you talking about?” Harry questioned. 

“Well, you guys may or may not believe me, but I designed the new costume for Garden Spider. They came to me asking me to make them a costume.” he gushed.

“Really?” Harry asked like a toddler at story time. 

“Wow,” I said in the best shocked voice I could manage.  

“I did! I’m really proud of the way it turned out.” Peter cooed, as he looked over the image displayed over the phone. 

“So Elliot what do you think of the costume?” Harry asked. Peter looked up expectantly.

“Oh. I love it. The design is very slick and recognizable. The goggles are a little much, but the green parts are padded in a very effective way. I mean-er- that’s what the picture looks like.” I stumbled. Before any more awkward Garden Spider questions could be asked, the bell rang. 

“Thank goodness,” I muttered under my breath as I quickly left. Once I was safely in my next class, I breathed a sigh of relief. I was so close to giving away my secret so many times. I really do need to get better at this part of the job.

After school I ran to the buses, but before I made it there Harry caught me.

“Hey,” he greeted.

“Oh. Hi, Harry.” I said back. 

“So, I meant to tell you this at lunch, but the internship is right after school. You can ride with me to get there, if you’d like.” he offered. 

“Sure, just let me call my dad to tell him.” I answered. A short phone call later, I was in Harry’s unbelievably fancy car. It had seat heaters in the back and a tinted window in between the cabin and driver. There were even cool water bottles in the coasters. The seats were black leather with charcoal gray pillows. Freaking pillows in the car. I could barely contain my utter shock. 

“I suppose you might not be used to this.” Harry cringed as if he forgot everyone wasn’t insanely rich.

“No. I’m most certainly not used to this, but I don’t mind it at all.” I explained. My eyes still traveled up and down the impressive interior of the car. To distract me, Harry started asking questions.

“What’s your favorite movie?” he questioned.

“Hm… That’s a tough one. I really enjoy Dead Poets Society. The message of the film just spoke to me.” I answered.

“That is a good movie. Favorite song?”

“Literally any Disney villain song.” 

“The villain songs?”

“Of course! The villains always have the best songs. Although I do enjoy Mother Mother. They are an artist.”

“Favorite food?”

“Pizza. It comes any and every way, and is a staple for any good hangout. My favorite is Canadian bacon and bacon with extra cheese.”

“Favorite color?” 

“I’ve always loved green, but orange is a color that has been growing on me lately.”

“Favorite book?”

“I don’t read a lot, but I enjoyed Harry Potter of course.”

“Really? What’s your house?”

“Hufflepuff. What about you?” 

“Ravenclaw. Favorite game?”

“Don’t ask me to choose from my babies.”

“So you love a lot of games?”

“Yeah. I like sandbox games like Minecraft and Terraria, but Diablo III and Skyrim are amazing. Overwatch is also fun to dabble in.”

“What about-”

“No. My turn to ask questions. Favorite movie, song, food, color, book, and game. Go!” He inhaled sharply before answering all on one breath.

“Toy Story one through four. Counting Stars by OneRepublic. Sushi. Navy blue. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. And finally, Minecraft.” he exhaled. 

“Wow, lots to unpack there.” I chuckled.

“It will have to wait until next time, I’m afraid. We’re here.” he said, gesturing out the window. The car was pulling to a stop in front of the mighty building. The impressive, glass building still glittered with an air of importance. 

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to this,” I muttered, not expecting to be heard.

“You really don’t,” Harry replied.

“Oh, you heard me. Sorry about that. The building is just so beautiful, I can’t help but marvel at it.” I apologized sheepishly. 

“It’s fine. I like hearing you talk. I mean-honestly, I can barely understand that this building is owned by my dad. The only way I see him is a man who couldn’t throw a ball to save his life, but the world sees him as a face of the future.” he remarked. 

“That would be odd,” I agreed. Before I could say more the driver opened our door. We were led inside the building. I was given a temporary ID, but Harry just had to flash a smile at the secretary. In the lobby there was a group of anxious students. 

“W-wait,” I said, stopping Harry with a light tug on his elbow, “t-there are m-more people here? Y-you never s-said anything about m-more p-people.” My nerves were fried from the long day at school. I was expecting to sign some papers and laugh with Harry for an hour. What if I had to do some type of test, to prove I was worthy to be an intern here? I was only a high schooler. I barely knew anything. They were going to kick me out and I would be disgraced. No one would care about me anymore. No one-

“Don’t worry about them, Elliot.” Harry whispered. “You were hand chosen by Dr. Connors yourself. These people were chosen by their schools to get this opportunity. Honestly, I think everyone here will be automatically given a spot here. Especially you. It’s okay. Plus I’m here. That has to count for something.” He gently led me to the back of the ground. Before anyone noticed us, he gave me a quick hug. It was nothing special, but it left a burning fire in my chest. Harry cleared his throat loudly and walked up in a very pointed manner. This drew everyone’s attention to his speech.

“Welcome to Oscorp,” he announced with a smile, “I’m Harrison Osborn, son to Norman Osborn. I’ll be giving you all the tour of the company. I do hope that you grow to love Oscorp as much as the other employees here have.” He flashed a smile at some perky girls. They practically melted at the gesture. I rolled my eyes at his teasing. We were brought through the same wings I saw during the field trip. However this time, Harry was in charge. 

He seemed to come alive as people asked questions and cracked jokes. He laughed and joked back. If someone had a question he would take extra time to answer it. When someone didn't understand something, he would take extra time to explain it to them. Somehow he managed to deal with the pretentious people in the group, while carrying an undying smile. He worked so effectively. He knew everything in the labs and even things no one had ever heard before. It was almost like Harry was glowing. 

Then the tour was over. Two hours later, and I realized I didn’t want to go quite yet. 

“Hey, Harry. Could I stay a little longer?” I asked, as most of the people left.

“Sure, but you don’t want to leave with Skylar?” he pointed out.

“Skylar?” I exclaimed bewildered. She was getting in her dad’s car. As they pulled away, I swear I felt her glare across the distance.

“I didn’t even know she was here.” I admitted. I was upset I didn’t get to talk to her. She was hurt by the Shocker event, but she was hurting us by cutting us out. I wanted to know what I could do to fix it. 

“She was kind of sulking in the back the entire time. I think she was also glaring at me. It kind of threw me off, so this whole tour might have been awful.” Harry cringed. 

“Are you kidding?” I yelled, making Harry jump, “You were amazing. The way you explained the complex way the severs compute data was amazing! It clicked perfectly. Then the breakdown of the robotic experiment in real time was insane. How does your brain work that fast? You seemed so at ease the entire time.” 

“Well, I do like to think that I’m smart, but you give me too much credit. You’re smart too, Elliot. The way you came up with a better metaphor for the CRISPER project. I've been thinking of an explanation for weeks, but in five minutes you make a better one! You’re amazing.” he countered.

“We could go in circles forever. Maybe we can both agree that we’re both smart?” I offered. 

“Sounds good,” he laughed.

“Even though you are way smarter.” I muttered.

“What was that?” he asked.

“Nothing,” I said innocently. 

“Hm. Sure. Anyway, this way, smartest person in the world.” he announced, leading me to an elevator.

“Why are we going here, brainiac?” I wondered.

“You didn’t think we were going to lounge about in the lobby did you, pretty girl?” he teased.

“I guess not, but you didn’t answer my question, handsome man. Where are we going?” I joked back. A blush started to creep across his face, but he didn’t give up.

“Well, turtledove, we are going to my personal lab.” he explained while typing into the elevator keypad. Soft music filled the elevator as the doors closed. A faint whirl of gears could be heard as we were brought higher up into the building.

“A personal lab, honeybunch?” I wondered. 

“Yeah. I use it to make all my best projects. It might be a bit of a mess, darling, but we’ll still be able to….” he trailed off.

“To what? Experiment? Joke? Watch movies? Cuddle? Gossip? Read? Hangout? Or are you more adventurous and hoping for a kiss, honey?” I pressed. His face was dropped, but the redness of his face was evident. 

“I-it’s nothing,” he muttered. Maybe this was too much.

“Sorry. I got caught up in the game.” I apologized somberly. The box at the top of the elevator dinged. The doors slid open. Neither of us moved. 

“What-what if it didn’t have to be a game?” he asked, his voice almost too low to hear. 

“I-I-um-you…” I was lost for words. Was he asking me… No, there was no way. 

Before I could give my response, he brought his head up with a heart warming smile. 

“Ha. I win. Anyway, my lab is this way.” he smiled before charging down the hall. 

I knew there was no way that was real. Obviously. What would Harry see in me anyway? What was I thinking? I had a lab to check out! Without realizing the static feeling wrapped around my spine, I exited the elevator.

As I stepped out of the elevator, I ran into someone. Papers were thrown up in the air, and a mug was dropped. With my enhanced reaction time, I was able to catch the mug before it hit the tile floor. 

“I’m sorry about that!” I yelped, “please let me help you with that… Dr. Connors.”

I was face to face with the man who helped put Heather in the hospital.

Chapter Text

A/N: Sorry about the late update. I really don't have an excuse. I kind of just got lazy, but I should be able to post Monday's update on time. For now, enjoy (or don't)!

As I stepped out of the elevator, I ran into someone. Papers were thrown up in the air, and a mug was dropped. With my enhanced reaction time, I was able to catch the mug before it hit the tile floor. 

“I’m sorry about that!” I yelped, “please let me help you with that… Dr. Connors.”

I was face to face with the man who helped put Heather in the hospital. 

Time seemed to slow. My blood started to heat up. Some primal scream was building in my throat. My muscles tensed in anticipation for a fight. Concrete seemed to encase my thoughts. All I knew was Curt Connors hurt Heather. 

“Elliot. Oh- hello, Dr. Connors.” Harry greeted, after he rounded the corner. He must have noticed I wasn’t following him. He seemed nervous, like he had something to say. All that dropped once he saw the doctor. It was almost like he put on a professional mask to talk to him. 

“Yes. Hello, Harry.” Dr. Connors huffed in a slightly upset tone, “Why are you still here? The tour ended a half hour ago. I do not understand why you or any other unauthorized personnel should be here.” Harry glanced nervously at me.

“Elliot was hoping to learn more about Oscorp. She wanted to be sure she was fully prepared for the internship.” Harry explained. While I cringed at my misgendering, I was thankfully Harry had come up with a convincing lie. 

“Are you sure she is trustworthy?” Dr. Connors asked, voice full of suspicion for me. An uncomfortable feeling was building in my spine, and I felt sick. It was almost like a knife being twisted in my back.

“Quite sure, doctor.” Harry assured with a nod. 

“All right. She may stay. Only if she is escorted out by security in two hours.” Dr. Connors firmly said. Harry nodded mutely. With one more look of distrust, Dr. Connors marched down the hall with a purposeful stride. As his footsteps faded into the silence I inhaled a shaky breath. My heart was pounding. The hairs on my arms were standing. I felt like my stomach was in knots. Was I going to puke?

“He is scary. Whoa. Elliot, are you okay?” Harry asked in a worried tone.

“J-just fine. I’m feeling a little queasy is all. You want to go to your lab now?” I managed without bile rising. 

“Sure,” he agreed. Before walking off, he took my hand to help lead me. His hands were warm. They were nice hands. My thoughts swirled like ice cream. Was that even a saying? I couldn’t think straight. What was wrong with me? 

“We’re here,” Harry announced, opening an unassuming door. The room was definitely a lab. Loose mechanical parts covered a table in the center of the room. An impressive rack of tools covered one of the walls. Computer monitors covered another one. Data blinked and scrambled all across the screens, making me feel even more nauseous. The computer area even had a microscope. The only part that didn’t look like a lab was the furthest wall. It had a massive bookshelf filled with books. A plush couch and armchair invited me closer. I needed to sleep. Collapse might have been a better word. I tried to tell Harry this but all I managed was ‘s...sleep-p”. Thankfully he understood the message and helped me to the couch. It took all my willpower not to fall asleep right there. 

“Are you okay, Elliot? Do I need to call your dad?” he questioned while my eyes were open. 

“N...o,” I muttered. My eyes were heavy and fluttery. Harry looked so far away. He needed to be here, next to me. He was warm. I was cold. Unknowingly, I yanked him closer. Unable to break my strong grip, he fell. He fell right on the couch next to me. 

“Elliot. I-um- I need to do things. Like call someone because you don’t seem okay. C-could you let me go?” he stammered. I could feel a blush spread across his face. My eyes refused to open. Instead of letting him go, I pulled him closed. He was warm and smiled nicely. Paper and coffee. I like coffee. My consciousness was wavering. Before my mind slid off into the void of sleep, my body untensed. I could feel my muscles release all the pent-up energy they held after coming face to face with Dr. Connors. Then something unexpected happened.

“God. I'm weak.” Harry said. He wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me even closer. He placed his head on top of mine. His coffee and paper smell was overwhelming. It was wonderful. Then, it all faded.

A void enveloped my senses. I could have spent three second there or three centuries. Time felt fake while I was there in the nothing. Then I felt a tug from where the base of my neck would be. A string seemed to guide me out of the void into another vision. 

The void was slowly drained away with the picture of a lab. Dull grays and off whites were everywhere. This only helped to draw my attention to the monitor that was blinking in neon red. In front of the flashing computer was Dr. Curt Connors. He had his head in his hand. He seemed… sad. His blonde hair was matted. His lab coat was wrinkled and stained. There was even a fine stubble on his chin. Then the door to the lab swung open with force. Dr. Connors sat up right in shock, and quickly tried to clean things up. 

“Welcome, Dr.- Lucy.” Dr. Connors stopped his frantic scramble to look at the person marching into the lab. She looked to be a young college student with a pristine, white lab coat. Her bright, blonde hair was in a high ponytail. She seemed to be staring daggers at the disgruntled doctor. 

“Do you have any idea how worried we were?” she yelled, “I’ve called you over a hundred times, only to be put on voicemail. Mom has tried to visit you twice, only to be turned away by security. It has been over a week, Dad! I had to become an employee just to see if you were alive! Why are you avoiding us? What is so important here you can’t call your wife and daughter?” Before, Dr. Connors could come up with an excuse, the woman broke down crying. 

Her sobs echoed across the dark, empty lab. Dr. Connors look wracked with guilt. Carefully he walked closer and wrapped his arm around her. He looked upwards as if to ask the heavens a question. Tears dripped down his face. Their ragged breathing echoed in the still room. 

“I’m so sorry,” he croaked. He placed a tender kiss on the woman’s head. They stayed holding onto each other for a while longer. 

“Y-you p-p-promised, Dad.” she sobbed. He nodded and pulled her closer.

“I know. I’m sorry, Lucy. Everything has become a lot more complicated lately.” he tried to explain. 

“You p-promised.” she repeated. The weary doctor sighed.

“Alright. I’ll come home. Only if you resign, however.” he agreed.

“No.” she said firmly.

“What?” 

“I said no, Dad. Mom and I don’t need the extra stress of you working yourself to death. With me here, I can help prevent it.” 

“No, Lucy. You cannot work here. Please, this company-”

“Evening, Dr. Connors and Dr. Connors.” a proper voice said from the illuminated doorway. Norman Osborn was standing with his arms behind his back, surveying the tense family reunion. 

“D-dr. Osborn.” Connors stammered, clearly surprised by the check-in. 

“I’m pleased to meet you, Dr. Lucy Connors.” Norman greeted, ignoring Connors.

“The pleasure is mine, Dr. Osborn.” Lucy nodded, wiping away her tears as best as possible. 

“I trust you are greeting our newest employee with a warm welcome, Dr. Connors.” Norman asked without asking.

“Of course, sir,” Connors said while glaring with murderous intent at Norman.

“Good. I can’t wait to see what the two Connors are able to do, together. I’ll have to go now. Have a good night.” he said before leaving. His shoes clicked all the way down the hall. 

“That was nice of him,” Lucy commented as she tried to recover herself from the breakdown.

“Yes. Nice.” Connors agreed absently.

“Now, you have to come home, Dad.” she said, becoming serious. 

“Maybe you are right, Lucy. I think I need to go home.” he uttered, but was still staring at the empty doorway.

“So let’s go,” she urged while tugging on her father’s hand. 

“I’ll be along, just let me gather up my things.” Connors nodded. Lucy beamed at him before leaving with a hop in her step. Instead of gathering things, Connors punched the nearest table with a furious yell. He hunched over in defeat.

“Damn you, Osborn,” he cursed in the dark room, “Why did I ever start working with you? You’ve become a poison to every good thing in my life. W-why her? I w-wasn’t enough?” He stayed slumped for a few more moments, before collecting himself. As best he could he smoothed out his rumpled coat and tried to finger comb his oily, blonde hair. Then he strode confidently into the bright hallway. 

I rushed back to myself with jarring speed. It was odd to come back to a physical body. Slowly the feeling in my limbs returned. A sour taste coated my tongue. My heart beat in my chest at a faster pace. My vision was slightly blurred, but I was able to see Harry working on something in the center of the room. He seemed very focused. I could smell a burning scent wafting from his project. My voice started to come back to me.

“Hey,” I croaked, unable to say much more. Harry’s head snapped towards me.

“You’re awake.” he stated bluntly. 

“I couldn’t tell,” I remarked sarcastically. He got up quickly, sending his stool rolling back. 

“Do you need water or a snack?” he offered. I gave a mute nod, and he scrambled to find the items. After draining a water bottle and devouring a bag of stale chips, I felt somewhat normal, despite my aching head and my clammy skin. 

“What time is it?” I asked, realizing it might have been getting late. Harry glanced at his phone.

“8:31 PM,” he answered.

“What?” I exclaimed, jumping up in surprise, “I told Dad I would be home at 8:30! I’ve got to go, Harry.” I started to look for my jacket and phone, but Harry stopped me.

“Wait. I have to know why you suddenly passed out for two and half hours first, Elliot.” he pressured. 

“Um. My blood sugar dropped. It happens when I don’t eat enough, and I’ve been forgetting to eat lately, so… yeah. Now, I’ve got to go.” I half-lied. I was forgetting to eat most of the time.

“Oh okay. Alright. Let’s get going then.” he said, slightly embarrassed for some reason. 

We rode the elevator down to the empty lobby. I had a question burning through my mind, that I couldn’t shake.

“So, Harry, what happened to my two hour curfew? Dr. Connors seemed very firm about that time, so why didn’t he enforce it?” I asked, before stepping out into the frigid night. 

“Dr. Connors left about thirty minutes before you woke up. I think it was the first time he left in about a week, if you can believe it.” he answered.

“Uh, yeah wow. I-I can’t believe it. Hm. See you later, Harry!” I quickly said before running out into the cold outside. I jogged to the bus stop, but as I approached, the bus pulled away. 

“God dammit! How am I going to get home now?” I asked the dark sky and disgruntled people walking past. I looked at my bag. I did have a new suit. Maybe I could do a take two on web-slinging. For science, of course.

Chapter Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHWYaV6WLQo

A/N: You may have also noticed I've added a link to a video. This is a song that will go with this part. It is Bullet in a Gun by Imagine Dragons and please don't start it until it tells you. 

 I jogged to the bus stop, but as I approached, the bus pulled away. 

“God dammit! How am I going to get home now?” I asked the dark sky and disgruntled people walking past. I looked at my bag. I did have a new suit. Maybe I could do a take two on web-slinging. For science, of course. 

After slinking suspiciously into an abandoned alleyway, I changed into my bright suit. It was awkward undressing in an open space, but I hid in the shadows. My suit was more insulated than my previous outfit, so I was able to lose the shivers. Carefully, I crept up the wall to the top of the building. I only lost my footing twice, and scuffed a window. Eventually I got to the flat gravel roof. 

I took a deep breath of the chilled air. It seemed to freeze my lungs making my head clearer. Good. I would need a level head for the stupidity I was about to do. My heart was jumping rope in my chest. I crouched down ready to take a running start, but right before I dove off, I felt a static feeling on my spine. Someone was coming. They knew I was here. I spun around ready for a fight. 

A figure clad in dark red and black stepped partially into the light. The suit looks extremely durable with plates of armor. His mask covered his hair and eyes, leaving the mouth exposed. The mask even had devil horns on it. I knew who he was. 

“You’re going to jump,” he said plainly, “Why would someone like you do that?” 

“How did you know that?” I wondered out loud.

“I’m very observant. Now, I’ve answered your question. Answer mine.” he responded.

“It’s the fastest way home. I missed the bus.” I explained. 

“Really?” he asked in a disbelieving tone. 

“Yeah. I suppose I’m a little like you, Daredevil.” I joked.

“So you know who I am.” 

“I’ve heard rumors. Nice to meet you in the flesh.” 

“And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” 

“I’m El- Garden Spider.” 

“Nice to meet you, Garden Spider.” He suddenly froze. I tensed up, not knowing what to expect. 

“I need to go.” he mumbled. 

“Off to beat up more criminals I assume.” I remarked.

“Hopefully someone a little higher on the payroll. Please don't hurt yourself, Garden Spider. I would hate to see such wasted potential.” he said, before jumping to another roof. As quickly as he appeared, he disappeared. 

“I wasn’t going to do that,” I told the empty roof, “Now, to do something slightly stupid.” I ran full speed to the edge of the roof and jumped. 

Start song

Wind whistled in my ears and froze my body. The ground was growing increasingly closer. Gasps and screams erupted from fearful people below. 

Then, with a flick of my wrist, I was soaring upward into the dark night. It was dreadfully cold, but I was burning with joy. This was where I was meant to be. I was free from everything. Mysterious vigilantes. Complex Osborns. Weird dream-visions. Villainous father figures. Paralyzed sisters. Angry friends. All of that was down there. I was up here. It was the best feeling in the world. 

Suddenly screams were all I could hear. It was like hundreds of people were screaming right in my ears. I faltered. They were terrified. I was terrified. Now, I was plummeting towards the busy street. Somehow I was to place a web on another building, and I slammed painfully into it. 

The breath in my lungs was forced out. I clung to the wall of the building trying to regain my breath, while the voices settled. I noticed the familiar static feeling had become a crackling fire along my back. Something was happening. I need to help someone. 

With all the strength I could manage, I swung the direction the static was telling me. This time I could not enjoy the feeling of web-slinging. Someone was in danger. Someone was dying. I needed to move faster. Soon, I was nearing a building on fire. The inferno was eating an apartment building, and people were gathered below. One voice rang above all the panicked chatter.

“MY DAUGHTER IS IN THERE!” a mother screeched. Several people were holding her back from the building, all were trying to console her. Her wails echoed in my ears. I needed to do something. I landed in front of her and the crowd. 

“What floor?” I demanded, remembering to turn on my voice modifier. Everyone stared at me, shocked at my jarring appearance. The only one able to answer was the mother.

“Third floor, room 5. Please save my Ana!” she cried. With that I shot two webs onto the building. 

“Here goes nothing.” I muttered to myself. With a tug I launched myself through a window into the burning third floor. Smoke assaulted my lungs and eyes. Flames tried to eat at me. The heat tried to drown me before the smoke could. It was miserable, but I needed to find the kid. I tried calling for her, but it was lost in the chaos of the fire.

I ran desperately from room to room, still trying to call for her. Finally I got to a room with a small cry echoing inside. I slammed my shoulder into the door, shattering the door. Now the crying was louder. A small toddler was sobbing in the closet. The smoke was only slightly thinner in here, and the heat was barely tolerable. It won’t be for long. 

“We need to go, kid. I’m here for you.” I comforted as I went to scoop her up. Instead she moved away.

“I-I w-want-t m-my m-mom-m!” she bawled, while choking on the thick smoke. 

“I know. She’s waiting outside for you. I’m here to take you to her. Please come with me, before the fire gets closer.” I said, in what I hoped to be a calm voice. The smoke was starting to get to me. We needed to leave now. Without waiting for a response, I grabbed her and ran out the room. The flames were more powerful now. My skin felt like it was baking. My blood felt like it was boiling. Was I going to die? I couldn’t. I had to get the kid out of here, then I could die.

Despite the heat I ran, putting my other arm over the kid’s head. I ran like the devil was on my tail. He might have been because it felt like I was in hell. Static. Suddenly, flames erupted from one of the doorways of a room. Somehow I managed to spin around and absorb most of the heat with my back. I screamed but kept running. I didn’t matter. Only the kid. 

My feet felt like they weren’t moving. They must have been because I jumped out the third floor window. The cold of the night shocked me just enough to make me shoot a web. I swung down to the ground with the girl clung to me tightly.

Once my feet touched the ground the mother rushed to me. She took her daughter from my arms and wept with her for a moment. She brought her tear stained face up to meet my gaze.

“Thank you. You’re a hero.” she cried with a smile. She was wrong. Sirens started to approach the area. I needed to leave, but I needed to tell her.

“I’m not a hero.” I corrected.

“Today you are. You saved my daughter.” she urged. I shook my head violently.

“I-I’m not a-a hero. Trust me. I’m just a person with powers. That doesn’t make me a hero.” I declared. 

“What you did today makes you a hero.” she said firmly. Firefighters began to unload from their trucks. They were pushing past people to get the flaming apartment. I really needed to go. Without arguing further, I shot a web to swing away. Before I swung away, I heard the girl.

“Y-you’re m-my hero!” she called. I wasn’t a hero. I was just a socially awkward nerd who got bit by a spider. I was no one. Sure I did some nice things, but that didn’t make me a hero. Did it?

Chapter Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3E58z4QP3M

A/N: Sorry about the later update. I'll explain it at the end of the chapter. Also the song for this part is Death of Me by SAINT PHNX. Please don't start it until I tell you too. Now, on to the story!

“What you did today makes you a hero.” she said firmly. Firefighters began to unload from their trucks. They were pushing past people to get the flaming apartment. I really needed to go. Without arguing further, I shot a web to swing away. Before I swung away, I heard the boy.

“Y-you’re m-my hero!” he called. I wasn’t a hero. I was just a socially awkward nerd who got bit by a spider. I was no one. Sure I did some nice things, but that didn’t make me a hero. Did it?

Once I made it home, I got an earful from Dad.

“Do you have any idea how worried I was?” he yelled, “I thought you had been shot or kidnapped, Elliot. I told you 8:30, yet here you are at 9:30 without so much as a text. What am I supposed to do with that Elliot?”

“I’m sorry, Dad.” I mumbled. He sighed at my clear shell shock. My mind was replaying the mother’s words. Could I truly be a hero? No. I wasn’t a hero. I would never be a hero. 

“It’s okay, bug. Just don’t do it again.” he uttered. After a moment of pause, he continued, “So I was talking to the doctors today, and they said Heather can receive visitors again.” My head snapped up.

“You want me to visit Heather, don’t you?” I asked. He nodded. 

“I can’t.” I said flatly.

“Why not, Elliot?” he questioned.

“I-I couldn’t- I wouldn’t- S-she. M-my- it’s. I-I can’t, Dad.” I stuttered. Tears welled up in my eyes. He looked at me with pity. In an act of comfort, he grabbed my arms and guided me into a giant dad hug. I sobbed into his shirt as he just held me. 

“You don’t have to visit her tomorrow. You will have to visit her soon, but you don’t have to go tomorrow. However, you will be going to jiu-jitsu and boxing tomorrow. Got it?” Dad offered. I nodded vigorously. He sighed again, and led me up to my room to tuck me into bed. Even in the dark of the room, I was wide awake. I could go see Heather, but I’m not good enough to see her yet. People think I’m a hero, but I’m not. I’m a normal person. I met Daredevil. He thought I was someone special, but I’m not. 

The ideas circled around my brain all night. 

I must have fallen asleep at some point because light was pouring in through my windows. My alarm was buzzing at me to get up. While I rose out of bed, my spirits plummeted. 

I had to go to school today.

My arms and back ached from the heat of the fire. Last night they were flaking and burning, but in the morning they were only pink and irritated. My legs no longer felt like noodles, which was a plus. However, my brain felt like it had been put through a strainer. Even while it was heavy with exhaustion, my brain tried to think about last night. I was so wrapped up in it, I didn’t realize I was on the bus with Peter until static lit up along my spine. 

Someone was falling. Right… there. 

I stuck my arm out in time to catch a familiar someone. 

“Thank you,” Jasper said, slightly out of breath. His milky eyes looked around for the hero he could never see.

“You’re welcome, Jasper. By the way, this is Elliot Elrod.” I announced.

“Well, thank you for saving me again, Elliot. Also, I could tell it was you as soon as you spoke. I may be blind, but I never forget a friend’s voice.” he remarked.

“If that’s the case, you should be able to figure out who this is. If he ever speaks up.” I joked. To encourage Peter, I nudged him in the ribs with my elbow.

“H-hey, Jasper. W-what’s up?” Peter blushed. He waved nervously, but put his hand down once he realized Jasper couldn’t see it. 

“Nothing much, Peter. What’s up with you?” Jasper greeted with a dashing smile.

“S-so you do remember-er m-me?” Peter said with nervous excitement. 

“Of course,” he remarked. The bus lurched forward, and Jasper stumbled in the aisle. 

“I guess I need to find a seat.” he mumbled while holding the seats for support. 

“Here,” I offered, “you can have my seat. I see someone I want to talk with anyway.” We awkwardly traded spots. The entire time Peter was glaring at my obvious attempts at pushing the two together. 

“Have fun,” I waved, before finding another seat. Since I couldn’t find an empty seat, I had to sit with someone. It wasn’t all bad, however. Peter and Jasper seemed to hit it off.

The day was the same bland routine. Sit through class. Take notes. Try not to fall asleep. Everything was dull, until lunch. Skylar still wouldn't sit with us because Harry was there. It hurt, but I couldn’t change it. 

“I’m going back to the gym today.” I told Peter. 

“Really? It’s been kind of boring without you, so I’m happy you’re going back.” he replied. 

“You both go to the same gym?” Harry asked. 

“Yeah. We’ve both been going for seven years.” I nodded. 

“That’s an exaggeration. I go every once and a while, but Elliot goes three to four times a week. Well, that was before Heather- um, yeah.” Peter bragged before realizing his error.

“You haven’t been going lately?” Harry questioned.

“Yeah. I’ve just been kind of out of it. I’m going tonight though because I want to get back into it.” I shrugged. I also knew that I needed all the training I could get if I was going to face the people who had hurt Heather.

“I’ll join you then.” Harry offered with excitement.

“What?” I choked on my milk. Harry Osborn training with me? Was he joking?

“It might be fun. Plus, I have a clear schedule today, so I don’t see the problem.” he smiled. 

“Are you sure? You are aware the first few weeks are extremely taxing, and you’ll be unbelievably sore the next day. Don’t get me wrong, it’s fun, but it's a bit of an acquired taste.” I stressed. 

“Why not? I need to get in shape anyway.” he said with naïve cheerfulness. 

“Alright, but don’t say I didn’t warn you.” I sighed. While I acted worried for Harry, deep down I was brimming with joy. He wanted to train with me. It was going to be fun watching him wheeze his way through warm-ups. I explained when and where he needed to be before the bell rang. The rest of the day dragged on with nothing exciting. The bell finally dismissed us from the mundanity of school in the afternoon. 

As I was strolling towards the bus, I had an idea. In my bag I had many books and papers relating to school, but buried under all that was something special. Maybe instead of the bus I could-

“Elliot! Are you coming or what?” Peter shouted from the bus. Now was the time to decide. I could swing home. Maybe stop by the store and pick something up for dinner. I might even be able to save someone. Yeah, right.

Short-cuts are for heroes.

“Yeah, I’m coming!” I called back. I jogged to the bus and picked a seat next to Peter. Instead of talking to him, I popped in my earbuds. I did not listen to music, however. I had enough noise in my head. 

The bus got to our stop as the sun was dipping below the horizon. Peter and I got home quickly to get ready for class. After scrambling for a few minutes, we were on our way to the gym, courtesy of my dad. Dad and Peter made small talk, but I didn’t join in or listen. I was stuck on one thought. Could I be a hero? 

We pulled into the gym parking lot. Parked towards the back was a familiar and fancy car. Harry got out of it, and he seemed to be buzzing with energy. He was going to need it. Everyone said their greeting before we walked in. 

Inside was everything I remembered it to be. I closed my eyes to inhale deeply. The same smell of the mat mixed with an undertone of sweat. A large blue mat taking up two thirds of the room. People were already there jumping rope on it. Another person was shadow boxing in front of the large wall mirror. Punching bags lined the furthest wall. Sarah was still sitting bored at the desk, chewing viciously on a piece of gum and staring at her phone. Without looking up, she yelled at us.

“Don’t forget to sign in,” she hollered. We did as she said, but Harry didn’t. He didn’t have an account yet, but we would get that taken care of later. Sarah checked him out for a little while but was interrupted by the entrance of the coach. 

Coach Tracy radiated importance and power. She was in her mid-fifties, but looked about thirty. Her sandy, blonde hair was in a high ponytail that had a gentle sway. She was in her usual attire. Grey athletic shirt with black athletic pants and barefoot. The tightness of her clothes showed off her muscles as she walked. 

“She’s Coach Tracy. She was the number one fighter in the women's bantamweight in the UFC about twelve years ago. She had to retire after an opponent did an illegal move on her. The move nearly broke her back. Afterward she opened up a gym, and here we are.” Peter whispered to Harry. 

“Wait, if she was so important, why is her gym so… small and unrecognized.” Harry whispered back, confused. 

“Bad-blood with a lot of big people,” Coach Tracy said, clearly amused with Harry and Peter’s secretive nature. Harry jumped. I suppressed a laugh.

“H-hello Coach Tracy,” Harry greeted, “I’m Harry Osborn. Pleased to meet you.” Coach Tracy laughed a hearty cackle, which made him jump.

“No need to be so formal, kid. We’re like a family here, so drop the ‘pleased to meet you’ at the door.” Coach declared. Harry nodded with a half smile. With that, Coach walked off to chat with someone else. 

“That was slightly stressful,” Harry exhaled. 

“If that’s bad, you’re going to hate class,” I smiled, “but first we have to do warm-ups. Go grab a jump rope.”

“What?” Harry asked, “Are you joking? I thought we were going to box.”

“We will. We’re just doing warm-ups first. Three rounds of jumping rope then two rounds of shadow boxing.” I clarified. The clock on the wall let out a high pitched noise. 

“Hurry up, Harry,” I pressured as Peter and I stepped onto the mat with our own jump ropes. The mat was cool under my bare feet. After selecting a rope, Harry joined Peter and I on the mat. 

“So now we… jump rope?” Harry wondered. 

“Yeah. You may think it’s stupid, but trust me, it works. It helps improve your speed and footwork.” Peter explained. The clock chimed again, signaling for us to start jumping. After boxing for so many years, this warm-up became easy to me, but for Harry it was odd and jarring. He often stumbled while jumping and seemed self-conscious. The clock chimed again, telling us we could take a break. Harry was breathing heavily and was already sweating a little. It was odd to see Harry so out of his element. 

“Is it over?” he asked, slightly out of breath. 

“Nope. Two more rounds.” I announced. 

“Great,” he mumbled.

“What? Are you already tired?” I teased.

“If I say yes, will you tease me?” he questioned.

“Probably,” I nodded. He chuckled. The box let out another noise. We jumped rope for another few minutes. When we finished our second round of it, Harry said something to me.

“You know, you are really good at jumping rope. It’s almost like you’re skipping.” he complimented. 

“Thanks. You’re not too bad yourself, considering this is your first time jumping rope.” I replied.

“It isn’t my first time jumping rope. Just my first time dying from jumping rope.” he wheezed. I laughed. 

“Well, we need to wrap our wrists, so, if you want, we can skip the final round of jumping.” I offered.

“Yes, please,” he nodded. The two of us stepped off the mat, while Peter continued to skip rope. I quickly wrapped my wrists and turned to Harry. He was trying to wrap his wrists unsuccessfully. Given the lost look on his face, I knew he needed help. Without asking, I grabbed his hand and his wraps. As I wrapped his wrist, I explained how to do it, and to make sure it wasn’t too tight. When I looked up, Harry was staring intently at me.

“And that’s how you wrap your wrists.” I concluded. Why was he still staring at me? Was there something on my face? Did I do something wrong?

“Your hands are cold,” he said flatly. I looked down where I was still holding his hand in mine. I quickly dropped his hand like it was a grenade.

“Sorry about that,” I muttered, “Can you wrap your other wrist?” He nodded and began to hesitantly wrap his other wrist.

I got back on the mat to begin shadow boxing. After a few moments, Harry joined me on the mat, but not the boxing. I looked at him. He seemed unsure as to what to do. 

“Do you know how to throw a punch?” I asked him. 

“Not at all,” he replied.

“Okay, so get in, what you think, is a fighting stance.” I instructed. He balled up his hands into fists and held them at mid chest level. I couldn’t help but laugh. He seemed more embarrassed all of a sudden.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologized, “I’m just so used to people who know their stance. Okay, now let’s fix this.” I got close to Harry to guide his movements. 

“So bring your fist up more,” I said, “Right at your chin. This is to block punches to the head and upper chest. Now blade your shoulders. You don’t want to be square otherwise it’s harder to slip under people’s strikes. Widen your stance and bend your knees a little. Just like that. Good job.” I looked back at him. Frek, he was staring again. I backed up quickly. I cleared my throat to try and get rid of the building anxiety.

“Now I want you to punch my right hand with your right hand,” I commanded. He threw a soft punch to my hand. 

“What was that?” I asked loudly, “You have to put some power behind it. Trust me I can take it. I’m not fragile.” He threw another strike with more power. 

“Better,” I noted. I moved behind him to help guide his punch, “Now throw your punch, but you need to rotate on your heels and turn your hips.” He did it, but didn't turn his hips. I told him to do it again, but this time, I turned his hips for him. 

“See, that adds much more power to your punch.” I remarked. I looked to see what Harry thought. He was staring at me again with a faint blush across his cheeks. I became aware of how close I was to him. So instead of stepping back like any normal person, I pushed him away. He stumbled backward and fell. 

“I’m sorry!” I cried out, “It was just-um- you need to be more aware of your surroundings. Expect the unexpected.” I helped him up while he laughed.

“It’s no problem, Elliot. I wasn’t expecting that.” Harry chuckled. 

“Expect the unexpected,” I repeated, unsure of what to say. He laughed some more, and I joined in, unable to fully process what just happened. Coach Tracy called everyone to the wall. Class was uneventful, mostly because we only went over the basics again. I worked with Harry, without shoving him to the ground. By the end of the exercise, Harry was drenched in sweat. Then it was time for ab workouts. Everyone let up collective groans. 

Six-inches, planks, side-planks, scissor cuts, and other normally tortuous exercises were done, but I didn’t feel the burn I usually did. All the exercises were… easy. By the end of it, everyone else was exhausted and covered in sweat, but I was barely sweating. It was annoying because I felt like I hadn't done anything. Harry seemed to be the only one who noticed.

“Why aren’t you exhausted like me?” he asked between his laboured breaths.

“I’m just used to it, I guess.” I lied. This super-stamina was going to be the death of my secret identity. He nodded, probably too tired to ask anymore questions. We walked out to egt  breath of fresh air, but something was wrong. Static crawled up my spine. A cry echoed in my ears “HELP! Someone, please!” I stumbled.

“Elliot? Are you okay?” Harry questioned, sounding concerned. He wasn’t tired enough apparently. 

“Y-yeah. I-I’ve got to-o doing something. Go inside and stretch or something. I’ll be in soon.” I told him. 

“What’s wrong, Elliot?” Harry asked, not understanding what was happening. I needed him to leave. Now.

“I want to be alone. Leave! Please, Harry.” I shouted, unable to come up with a good excuse. My head was pounding. My stomach was in knots. The static was almost crippling. Time was running out. I needed to leave. 

“O-okay,” he mumbled. As soon as the door into the gym shut, I bolted.

Start song

With the running start, I jumped over the fence dividing the alleyway next to the gym. In the secluded place, I changed into my flashy costume. Thankfully, my wrists were already wrapped, meaning I didn’t need to waste anymore time. Someone was in danger. I needed to move faster. 

I ran up the wall, not bothering to start with a crawl. Once on the roof, I didn’t stop running. I ran straight off the edge. With a quick web-shot, I was swinging back upward. I had no idea where I was going, but I needed to be there. I was running out of time. I needed to move faster. 

There. In an alleyway, there was a girl surrounded by five burly men. Her screams had become nothing more than whimpers of fear. The men were laughing at her whimpers, as their disgusting hands got closer. The static released its hold on me. Instead rage filled every pore of my body. 

“Get your filthy hands off her!” I shouted at the group. They all turned towards the sound of my voice. The closest one got a high speed kick to the face as I came down. One down, four more to go. 

Without hesitation another one attempted to swing at me. I blocked it. One jab to the face made him crumple. I felt his nose break from the impact of the punch. I wasn’t able to process this, however. The third and fourth goons were already swinging at me. Their punches were much faster and well-placed. One managed to hit me. Pain flared up along my ribs. Instead of dwelling on it, I delivered a body-shot right back. I heard a snap as he fell to the floor, screaming. The other took a step back in shock and dropped his guard. With the opportunity, I landed a cross hook right on his jaw. That only left one mo-

“H-hands-s u-up,” the final guy said. He had a gun to the girl’s head. Both of them were shaking. This was not good. He was scared, meaning he would most likely be trigger-happy. I did as I was told. 

I needed to get the gun away from him. I just needed the right moment. There was a loud noise from behind me. This made the criminal shudder. Perfect. I shot a web right at his gun and yanked it away. His mouth formed an ‘o’ before I delivered a kick to his temple. With all the men down, I could focus on the girl. 

She was sobbing on the dirty ground. Her blonde hair draped in front of her face. I noticed the cold that was starting to creep in and her bare shoulders. I stole one of the men’s jackets and put it over her. She looked up at me. The combination of her watery blue eyes and blonde hair painfully reminded me of Heather. 

“Are you okay?” I asked after turning on my voice modifier. More tears slipped from her eyes dragging mascara down her cheeks. Her lips were moving, but no sound was coming out. She was most likely in shock.

“Do you have a phone? To call the police?” I asked in a soft tone. Her head dipped into a half nod in the direction of the wall. One the ground was a cracked phone in an azure case. I dialed the police and explained the situation and location. In that time, the girl stood up. Once I got off the phone, she was at my side. She grabbed my hand and planted a kiss on it.

“T-thank y-you,” she cried, “I-I was s-so scared-d, b-but you-u s-saved me. You-r my hero.” 

“I’m not a hero. I don’t deserve your praise. I was just nearby. That’s all.” I instited. She shook her head violently. 

“I-I’m sure o-other people-le heard me, but th-they didn’t-t help. Y-you did. Y-you’re-re a hero.” Sirens were getting closer to us, but the girl was still holding on to my arm tightly. 

“I’m really not a hero,” I explained, “Now I need to leave. Please let go.” She shook her head again. 

“Not until you admit you’re a hero,” she said in a steely tone. The sirens were visible now. The flashing of the blue and red made me nervous. 

“Fine. I’m a hero. Can I please leave now?” I asked, becoming slightly annoyed. She let go of me, but I could still feel the imprint of her hand on my arm. I jumped onto the wall, but before I got away, she asked me a question.

“What should I call you?” she asked. I debated it for a moment.

“Garden Spider. Call me Garden Spider.” I told her before running up the wall. I watched from the top of the building as police rounded up the injured criminals and questioned the girl. I looked towards the horizon. Day had been fully overtaken by night. The moon was half awake which helped to light up the already bright New York night. 

“Am I really a hero?” I asked the empty roof. A cold gust of wind ripped through me, causing goosebumps to crawl up my arm. I stood on the cold roof for another minute or two. I was trying to see stars in the night sky, but I couldn’t. No matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see the stars.

A/N: So you all may have noticed this chapter is both longer and later than usual. Believe it or not, the two correlate. I've decided to update exclusively on Mondays. I'm sorry. I've been trying to update twice a week, but I feel my writing suffers, and I don't enjoy writing it as much. The pacing becomes slow and clunky. Instead I will be updating once a week with longer parts and more thought put into every part (more songs too). That's really all I needed to tell you all. Until next time, try to die.

Chapter Text

A/N: Trigger warning. Elliot gets into a dark mindset involving their appearance. It gets kind of intense, so be prepared for that.

On another note, the links haven't been working lately. Sorry about that. I'm not a really a tech person, so I don't know how to fix it. I'll just tell you guys what song to look up for each part (I recommend Youtube or Spotify). Speaking of which, this part's song is Body by Mother Mother. Once again, please don't start the song until I tell you to. I'll also say when to stop the song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4o0WYiK52Dg

“Am I really a hero?” I asked the empty roof. A cold gust of wind ripped through me, causing goosebumps to crawl up my arm. I stood on the cold roof for another minute or two. I was trying to see stars in the night sky, but I couldn’t. No matter how hard I strained my eyes, I couldn’t see the stars. 

While on the roof, I remembered I left Harry at the gym. As fast as I could, I swung back to the gym. I got lost a few times and took time to change back into civilian clothes, but got back a little after warm-ups for jiu-jitsu. I avoided Harry and his concerned questions all throughout class. My mind was still on the chilled roof. 

“Are you okay, Elliot?” Coach Tracy asked me after class. 

“I-I’m not s-sure,” I mumbled. She wrapped a protective arm around me.

“Do you want to talk about it, hon?” she questioned softly. 

“L-lately, I-I’ve been-n doing things-s d-different, and people-le h-have noticed. S-so th-they’ve been p-praising-ing m-e.” I stuttered. It was difficult not telling her the full truth, but I couldn’t drag Coach into this. 

“Well knowing how you are, you probably deserve to be called praised,” Coach Tracy said, “Elliot. You are an amazingly compassionate person who often forgets what you’ve done that makes you that awesome. You focus on your mistakes, even if they are outweighed by your good deeds. Reflect on your successes. Did you help someone? Would anyone else have done the same thing? Did anyone else do the same thing? You just need to be reminded how great you are. It seems other people are starting to notice your greatness.” Tears swam in my vision. 

“T-thanks, Coach,” I uttered. She squeezed my arm again for good measure. I winced because she squeezed the area that the girl held onto. Coach didn’t notice, but Harry did.

“Is something wrong with your arm?” Harry asked from behind me.

“Nope. All good here. Nothing is wrong with this person.” I replied with a little too much cheer. 

“If that’s the case, let me see your arm.” Harry demanded. 

“And if I say no?” I said coldly back. I turned around to glare at him, but he just looked sad.

“I’m worried about you, Elliot.” he half whispered. His pouty face broke the anger I had developed. Begrudgingly, I held out my arm for him to examine. He pulled back my long sleeved shirt to reveal five harsh, green bruises. That girl really had a grip. Harry sharply inhaled at the grim sight.

“It’s really no-” I tried to explain before I got cut off.

“Who did this?” he asked with venom in his voice. 

“No one. Well I mean someone, but what I mean is- it doesn’t matter. It was an accident, so don’t worry about it too much. I’m fine.” I reasoned. Harry let out a long sigh before looking back up at me.

“You sure?” he wondered.

“Positive,” I assured. He dropped my arm.

“Okay,” he mumbled and dropped his head. We walked outside in silence. We stayed quiet for a while.

“So… what did you think of class?” I questioned, trying to lighten the mood. Harry was quiet for a few seconds.

“I think… I think that you are insanely skilled at both boxing and jiu-jitsu. The way you submitted that one dude, it was extremely cool.” he smiled.

“It really wasn’t that complicated. I just changed my armbar from guard into a triangle. It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it.” I remarked trying to deflect the compliment. 

“I have no idea what you just said, but I do know that whatever you did was extremely cool.” he repeated. 

“If you want I could show it to you.” I offered. 

“No thanks,” Harry declined, “I have to get home soon. I had fun training with you though. Maybe we can do it again some day?” 

“Sure, but you won’t want to train tomorrow. You’ll be so sore, you won’t want to go to school.” I teased.

“I’m pretty confident that I’m already that sore.” he groaned. I laughed, but cut it short because of my aching ribs. Harry looked at me with suspicion. 

“I’m also sore. I may have been doing this for years, but I stopped for a couple weeks. My body got weak.” I lied. Normally, skipping class for a few weeks and coming back would have wiped me out, but I wasn’t normal anymore. He nodded in agreement. We said our good-byes as my dad pulled into the parking lot. Peter exited the gym and walked up to us. 

“See you later, Harry. Come on, Elliot! Aunt May texted me. She said she was making her famous chicken dinner. Let’s get home before it gets cold.” Peter said excitedly. He dashed into the car before I could also show my excitement for Aunt May’s chicken dinner. 

“Guess this is good-bye. Later, Harry.” I told him. He waved me off. I got in the back of the car with Peter. My eyes didn’t leave Harry until we pulled out of the parking lot.

He really was worried about me. Why did that give butterflies?

Dad pulled into the driveway, and I jumped out of the car quickly. I gave Peter a half-hearted good-bye. He walked back to his house slightly saddened because I was ignoring him, but I was too wrapped up in my own thoughts. I got in the shower to try and wash the thoughts down the drain. 

While I was fighting the criminals, I hurt them. I hurt them badly. I broke one guy’s nose and another’s ribs. The other three probably had nasty head injuries. My strikes were no longer of average strength, and I was not holding back on them. What if I had killed one of them? What if I had crippled them? Was I really helping anyone? Was I becoming a monster? The warm water dripped down my face. I watched the water swirl down the drain. Steam blanketed the bathroom. 

As if a switch was flipped in my brain, I started to freak out. The steam was choking me. The water in the drain was like blood. The blood was everywhere. In my hair and on my face. It was still warm and dripping. No matter where I went, I couldn’t escape it. I was a monster. As quickly as the feeling came, it dissipated. 

The steam became normal. The water became comforting. Everything settled back into place. Except me. I was still on edge. I had nearly tripped and was now attached to the wall. With caution I lowered myself to the slippery floor of the tub. Was I losing my mind?

I turned off the water and dried myself off. I didn’t bother remembering if I had actually used soap. I put on clean clothes and walked a few houses up the street. Without knocking, I walked into Peter’s house. Immediately, I was hit with a wave of some delicious smelling thing. It was the wondrous aroma of Aunt May’s chicken dinner. As soon as I sat down at the table, my thoughts and worries vanished.  

Peter, Uncle Ben, Aunt May, and Dad were already there chatting. Once I sat down, everyone began to load up their plates with delicious food. Warm rolls, perfectly seasoned, fresh green beans, home-made mashed potatoes, and of course, the spectacular roast chicken. While eating dinner, I felt at peace, but I knew something just wasn’t right. 

There were gaps at the table. Normally, Heather would be chatting with Skylar about some small gossip with Aunt May occasionally cutting in. Skylar’s dads would be laughing with Uncle Ben, my dad, and maybe Gregory, if he were there. Peter and I would talk about all sorts of nerdy things together, and often bud into others’ conversations. Everyone was happy. No one left out. Now there was some dark cloud over the table. Conversation was still made, but it wasn’t as light as it normally was. 

Even still, with Aunt May’s cooking, the table was a safe haven from all the dark and angst in my normal life. I ate in peace with my family. It was nice.

Normally after dinner we would all play games together. Monopoly, Clue, Scrabble, Rummy Cube, and any other game we found at the store. We would make hot cocoa. The adults might have even opened a bottle of wine. We would play for hours and hours until the clock struck midnight. Tonight, however, no games were played. No drinks were prepared. Dad and I left after saying our short good-byes.

As we walked home, the chill of the night settled into my bones. It traveled my mind, bringing forward bittersweet thoughts of winter nights long ago. Falling asleep on the living room floor in the middle of Monopoly. Heather asking for more marshmallows in her cocoa, even though she had more marshmallows than cocoa. Aunt May talking about her new hobby. Peter and Skylar wrestling in the living room with me egging them on. Dad laughing at Gregory and me as we tried to sneak an extra slice of cake. Mr. Schultz and Mr. Jones bringing over homemade, vanilla ice cream. Aunt May teaching us how to make apple pie. Gregory bringing his first boyfriend over. Uncle Ben bragging about his promotion. Everyone happy. Everyone at peace. 

I missed those days.

After the short walk home, I went straight to bed. Maybe my dreams would hurt less.

They didn’t.

I found myself in a void again. No corporal form to worry about. Nothing to hear. Nothing to see. Nothing to feel. Nothing to smell. Nothing to taste. There was nothing. It was odd to have the world so still, but it helped my mind slow down. Just as I was getting used to nothing, I was dragged out of the void. 

It was the same lab as last time, but the lights were on this time. Dr. Connor was furiously taking notes, only looking up to collect more data from the computer. The door opened behind the occupied doctor. The person cleared their throat. Dr. Connors stopped what he was doing. He turned around to see a bored Norman Osborn. 

“What is the progress on Project #1?” Norman asked, skipping pleasantries. 

“I’ve devoted my time to Project #2 because of the… complications with Project #1.” Dr. Connors explained in a neutral voice.

“How have you been working to get rid of the complications?” Norman asked, slightly angered.

“I’ve been going through the necessary channels to secure a familiar hunter to dispose of the problem.” Dr. Connors said, a small flicker of emotion crossed his blank face.

“Good. How long until our problem is dealt with?” Norman questioned. 

“A few weeks, doctor. The Hunter is tied up with another hunt right now.” Dr. Connors noted.

“Did you offer twice the usual amount to speed up the wait?” Norman interrogated impatiently. 

“Of course, doctor. However, he refused to give up the bounty. Something about honor and glory.” Dr. Connors mentioned. Norman cursed under his breath.

“Fine. Notify me when he arrives. I want to be the one to tell him about his latest hunt.” Norman announced before turning on his heels to leave.

“Of course, doctor.” Dr. Connors told the departing man. Once the door closed, Connors let out a long sigh.

“I hate that man. I hate that he’s turning me into his evil henchman.” Connors mumbled to himself. The weary doctor turned back to his work. Somehow, he looked more tired than before. Then, the scene was washed away by the nothingness of the void. In the void I began to think. 

Dr. Connors answered to Dr. Osborn. That means any and all decisions Connors made had to be proved by Osborn. Could Osborn have been the one truly directing Shocker when he hurt Heather? Was he the reason my life was falling apart? Why was he doing this? He had everything.

My first dream. It had Dr. Connors and Dr. Osborn discussing the missing spider. The one that bit me. The mysterious ‘him’ that Osborn kept hinting at. Osborn was scared of him. Osborn wanted to strike back at him and his agents. That would align with Shocker accusing me of being an Agent. Who was ‘him,’ though? I needed to find out more. The only place to find that was at Oscorp. 

Start the song

I opened my blurry eyes. My head was pounding. My skin felt too tight. Every limb felt like lead. My blood was somehow hot and cold. My room was ice, yet I was in a puddle of sweat. I remembered the sensation of not having a body. It was much better than this. 

After a moment of despising everything, I got up out of bed. My pajamas were stiff with dried sweat and smelled none too pleasant. I stripped down, but as I was looking for new clothes, I caught a view of myself in the mirror. 

I approached the mirror to closely inspect my figure. It felt silly to look at myself in the mirror so harshly, but I couldn’t help it. Everything about my body screamed girl. My hips and chest were curvy. My face was soft and pleasant. My hair was long and girly. Even my legs were tauntingly feminine. It was all too much. Where was I in this body? I hated it all. I hated my body. 

I screamed. It was a loud and throaty scream. Not the panicking, high pitched screams you hear on TV. No. This scream was more primal and raw. All my hate and frustration packed neatly into one sound. As I screamed, I punched the mirror. It shattered into millions of little pieces, and cut my hand in multiple places. The shards fell to the floor, still reflecting my body, but now it was everywhere. I couldn’t escape myself. 

Dad busted into the room. I was crouched on the floor sobbing, blood and silver surrounding me. It must have been a sight. He carefully tip-toed through the maze of glass to me. He placed a reassuring hand on my shoulder. 

“What happened, Elliot?” he asked, slightly worried. I sniffled before letting out another sob. I wasn’t ready to tell Dad. He couldn’t know how disgustingly damaged I was. How truly broken I was deep down. I couldn’t do that to him. Not yet.

“T-there w-w-was a spider-er in-n m-my hair-r. S-s-sorry f-for-r fr-freaking you o-out.” I cried. Dad didn’t believe me. I don’t know how I knew, but I did. He knew something was wrong. However, he didn’t ask what. Maybe he should have. 

“Okay, bug. I’ll go get the broom, so you wait right there. You don’t need to get anymore cuts.” he warned. I gave a mute nod, as he left. Instead of following his instructions, I shot a web up to the ceiling and climbed along it to safer ground. Quickly, I changed into my school clothes. By the time Dad was back, I was fully clothed and ready to leave. 

“Didn’t I tell you not to move?” Dad groaned once he saw that I had changed.

“I-I had to g-get ready t-to go. Plus n-now I have sh-shoes on. I’m f-fine.” I mumbled. I took the broom and dustpan from Dad’s hands and started to sweep the room. Every shard showed my blotchy face. It made me want to punch another mirror. 

Once the mess was cleaned up, Dad drove me to school. I didn’t bother watching the city transform around me. I just stared intently at my injured hand. Dad had wrapped it tightly, but blood was still already seeping through. It hurt like hell, but it kept me grounded. The physical pain numbed my emotional pain. It made me hollow.

I got out of the car. Dad told me good-bye. I said it back. The gates of the school had students and teachers milling about. No one seemed aware of anyone else. Just their bubbles and their problems. It was easier this way. If no one cared about me, then I didn’t have to care about anyone else. 

I pulled my hair in front of my face, and I lowered my head. It was better to see and feel nothing, then to see and feel everything. I marched through the gates of the school, just another nameless and faceless student. 

The day was nothing special. Fake smile with Peter. Take notes. Wonder if I’m a hero. More notes. Pretend to have emotions when someone tells a joke. Take a quiz. Everything was 2-D. Nothing felt real or worth it. What is my life coming to?

At lunch I got to see Harry and get glared at by Skylar. Normally I would feel hurt by such treatment from one of my closest and oldest friends, but today I couldn’t even muster the energy to care that my hand was still aching. Harry could, however.

“Why is your hand wrapped up, Elliot? And is that blood?” he questioned with high intensity.

“Punched a mirror and maybe.” I replied flatly, before remembering the part I was supposed to be playing. Happy. Right. Mask up.

“Why did you punch a mirror?” he wondered out loud. 

“You know how it is. Sometimes you just want to hit something, but this time that something was a mirror. I guess I just don’t know my own strength.” I joked. This was exhausting. 

“Seriously? I thought you’d have enough injuries with those bruises and training sores.” Harry remarked. 

“Yeah, I guess I’ll just have to be more careful next time.” I said.

“Speaking of your bruises, how are they healing? I looked it up, and green bruises take about five to seven days to heal.” he explained.

“Oh yeah, the bruises. They’re healing up just fine. Not giving me any trouble.” I stumbled. In truth the bruises were no more than marks on my arm, barely noticeable. Super healing is nifty like that. 

“Do you mind if I look at them?” Harry asked, nonchalantly. I stopped chewing to give him a look. Was he seriously that concerned with a bruise?

“I would have to take off my sweater, so I’m afraid not. Maybe another time.” I shrugged. Mini-crisis averted. I didn’t want anyone to even glance at me, much less look at my girly arms. That would just be too much. Then again, everything was already too much.

“Fair enough,” he replied. We continued to eat in silence until Peter started talking rapid fire gesturing wildly at his phone. 

“Slow your role, bud,” I exclaimed. His energy was going to give me an even-worse headache. If that was possible, “Now, slowly explain what is so amazing about the article you just found.”

“You remember the hero we were talking about last time? Garden Spider? The person who I designed the costume of? Well, they are actually helping people! They aren’t just some rando with powers. They’ve saved a kid from a burning building and a girl being assaulted. Can you believe it?” Peter squealed.

“That’s so cool!” Harry agreed. 

“That hardly seems very heroic,” I muttered to myself, but Peter managed to hear me.

“‘Hardly heroic,’” Peter scoffed, “What are you saying, Elliot? They ran head first into a building on fire. Then, they came running to help some random girl. Not to mention, they stopped the Shocker! How are they not a hero?” 

“Did you forget who Shocker was?” I exploded, “He was basically our father! Now we will have to see him behind bars because of Garden Spider. She may have ‘stopped the bad guy’, but she also destroyed our family. How can you praise her for that?”

“Elliot,” Peter started, “what Mr. Shultz did makes him the villain. It hurts to call him that because, you’re right, he was like our father. However, it’s what he did to our family that hurts me the most. He paralyzed Heather. He destroyed our family, not Garden Spider. They stopped a bad guy. No amount of blame will change that. As well, I thought you knew better than most not to assume someone’s gender. Why would you call Garden Spider ‘she’? They don’t seem to be either.” My mind came screeching to  halt.

Stop song

“What?” I asked.

“You heard me. They're a hero.” Peter said firmly.

“No, not that part. The gender part.” I clarified.

“They… don’t present as either gender? You couldn’t tell?” Peter wondered.

“You can’t tell if Garden Spider is a girl or boy?” I asked, starting to get excited. 

“No, not really.” Peter remarked. 

“I can’t either, might I add.” Harry cut in.

Could no one tell? Everyone was just as confused about my gender as I was. No one thought I was a girl. No one knew what I was. All of a sudden my emotions came rushing back. Joy and euphoria filled every fiber of my being. I couldn’t help the smile that crept onto my face.

“Why are you smiling about that? Is it because- wait never mind.” Peter cut himself off.

“What? Is something happening right now that I’m not aware of?” Harry asked.

“You could say that.” I said with a cheeky grin. If no one knew Garden Spider’s gender, then I wasn’t as feminine as I thought. There was a chance for me to be fully androgynous. Better than a chance. I was androgynous. It was like I was on cloud nine. 

The bell rang, dismissing us from lunch. Peter and Harry watched as I practically skipped off to my next hour. They must have been completely flabbergasted by my reaction, Harry more so than Peter. I didn’t care, however. How could I? I was practically high off of the euphoria their comments gave me. 

The rest of the day passed with little interest. I was too busy replaying the conversation over and over again to care about anything else. I’m sure I missed important things in class that I would soon come to regret, but at that moment I simply didn’t care. The bell finally rang to let us go. 

I dashed outside with manic energy. My environment was buzzing, or maybe that was just me. I jogged, skipped, and jumped towards the bus stop. I might have even done a few inhuman gymnastics, but no one was around to see them. Once I got to the bus, I stopped.

I could take a faster way home. All it would take is a costume change. 

Short-cuts are for heroes.

Peter thinks I’m a hero.

I destroyed my family.

Harry thinks I'm a hero.

Mr. Shultz destroyed the family. 

I just avenged Heather.

What about the others? Was that vengeance? Or was it something else?

Could I truly be a hero?

Only one to find out.

Chapter Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjSobSYXo_8

A/N: This part's song is Hang on to Yourself by Palaye Royale Please don't start until it says to.

I could take a faster way home. All it would take is a costume change. 

Short-cuts were for heroes.

Peter thinks I’m a hero.

I destroyed my family.

Harry thinks I’m a hero.

Mr. Shultz destroyed the family. 

I just avenged Heather.

What about the others? Was that vengeance? Or was it something else?

Could I truly be a hero?

Only one to find out.

“Elliot? How did you get here so fast?” Peter asked as he came up to the bus. Other students were filtering out of the school. I was still ruffling through my bag looking for my suit.

“Elliot?” Peter asked again. I looked at him.

“Yeah, sorry. Um- I wanted to…” I paused to think. Was I really going to do this? 

“Wanted to do what?” Peter questioned. 

“I wanted to… say bye. I’m not going to be riding the bus today.” I decided. 

“What? Why not?” Peter interrogated. He knew my dad had work today, so he was probably concerned about me. However, the question only made me impatient. 

“I… Don’t worry about it,” I said, trying to get rid of his worry, “I’ll swing by your house once I get home to prove I’m not dead, okay?” Peter didn’t look any less concerned.

“I’m worried about you, Elliot. Are you sure you’re okay? And please tell me the truth,” he voiced.

“The truth? No, I’m okay, but I’m getting there. I think what I’m about to do will help.” I responded. He looked at my eyes for a few tense seconds.

“Fine. Just stay safe,” he sighed.

“No promises, Peter,” I smiled as I jogged away. After leaving the school grounds, I found a secluded alley to change in. My costume still smelled strongly of smoke. I probably needed to wash it. Nevertheless, I was excited to be back in the suit. I couldn’t explain it. Everything just felt right. I ran up the building to the roof. This time I didn’t trip or fall once. I was getting better.  

Once on the roof, I just sat down. Nothing in the area was amiss. Maybe this was a bad idea. I mean, I was just waiting for a crime in a ridiculous costume. I looked like I was going to mug someone. Then I had an idea.

A minute later I was swinging at high speeds through downtown New York. All the cars and people below me blurred into small smudges. Wind screamed in my ears. The sun warmed my bones, despite the low temperatures outside. It was spectacular. The moment was ruined when I felt the static pull me towards the ground. Someone was in trouble.

I dropped lower to survey the area. Nothing seemed amiss. People were walking with purpose along the sidewalk. Students, freshly released from school, loitered in front of the clothes shops. A cheery sales person was pitching a product to the uninterested crowd. Cars were gridlocked on the street with the occasional disgruntled honk. Everything was as chaotic as it should have been. It made me strangely happy. There. My eyes spotted the anomaly. Three shady people entered the jewelry shop. Not a minute later, more static lit up along my spine. Showtime.

Start Song

I swung towards the store front. Part of me wanted to smash through the large storefront window, but the sensible part of me made me use the door. A terrified jeweler looked at my insane costume and, somehow, looked even more scared. A few other crouching customers noticed me as well. There were no cheers or relieved expressions, as I had expected. Only fear and shock. This was going well.

“Hey, bad guy. You know you have to pay for your bling right?” I quipped. Maybe this would help show I wasn’t here to hurt anyone. Instead the criminals whirled around with guns leveled right at me.

“Right. Didn’t think of that,” I mumbled to myself. I felt three stings burst across my chest. I knew exactly where they were going to shoot me. I didn’t know how I knew that, but I did. Time seemed to slow for me.

The one on the right shot first. They were aiming for my upper shoulder. Before they could pull the trigger, I turned slightly so the bullet would miss me. BANG! One injury avoided. By now the one on the left had nearly taken their shot. They were aiming for my sternum. Thankfully I was already moving away from their round. BANG! Final one. They were going to hit my mid-section. To avoid a stomach ache, I managed to shoot a web up to the ceiling. Then, the spell broke and time was back. BANG!

Three criminals were left in shock, and I was on the ceiling filled with similar disbelief. How the heck did I do that? I nearly died. Why wasn’t I dead? No time for questions. Got to stop the bad guys.

“It’s not nice to shoot people, you know.” I told the criminals. By webbing one person’s face I managed to slam their head into the ground. Unfortunately, this gave time for the other two to break their confusion. They were going to shoot me again. 

Mid-back and upper leg. I dropped from the roof half a second before I heard. BANG! BANG! Two holes appeared in the ceiling instead of me. 

“Rude!” I shouted. I swung my legs to knock down one of them. Somehow that worked, and a robber fell to the ground with a grunt of pain. I stood up to deal with the other one. He brought his gun up to fire at me again. This time I didn’t have to dodge. I was close enough I could twist the weapon out of his hand. His hand gave a sickening crack, and he screamed. 

“Fuck. I’m so sorry! That was an accident.” I apologized. Behind me the first one I hurt stirred, as did the second. Both had lost their guns but still seemed intent on fighting. The closet tried to hit me, but he was slow and predictable. I deflected his punch with my forearm. Since his guard was down, I cracked him in the face with a hook. This time I remembered to rein in my strength, so he did not topple immediately. It took him a few dazed seconds to fall. 

Unfortunately, I did not get to watch this. I was busy taking care of felon number two. They were faster and more experienced, but with my inhuman reaction speed they still couldn’t land a hit. When I had an opening, I hit them in the ribs. This knocked the wind out of them, giving me time to deliver the final blow. They crumbled, still conscious. I think. 

Just when I thought everything was over, my skin tightened and fire erupted along my ribs. This was going to hurt. BANG! Behind me the third criminal was holding his firearm in his shaky, non-broken hand. I spun around to bring a ‘soft’ punch to his face. Once he hit the floor I doubled over in pain.

“That hurt, asshole.” I groaned to the unconscious criminal. The people around me slowly started to unfreeze. They looked around in confusion, yet they weren’t as shocked as I was. No one seemed hurt, but the window that I so desperately wanted to smash was shattered. Sirens could be heard close by. I had to leave, but I couldn’t leave the thieves unattended. 

“Does anyone have a pen?” I asked loudly as I held my aching side. The still trembling sales person pointed to a clipboard on the counter.

“Thanks,” I said. Hastily, I jotted down what had happened. One of the felons started to get up as I was writing. I cursed under my breath realizing I needed to detain the unsavory bunch. I webbed the group up together. Back to back with their shoulders pressed against one another. I finished the note with a fancy signature. 

Best Wishes,

Garden Spider!   

I set the note by the thief pile. After a second of admiring my handiwork, I remembered my gushing wound. Blood was starting to soak the fabric around the graze and my glove which was desperately trying to stop the flow. Another wave of pain surged through me. I felt sick to my stomach. I needed to leave.

“Goodbye guys! Oh and a nice store by the way. I like the… shiny stuff? Okay bye now.” I announced awkwardly. I used two webs to sling-shot myself into the air. There was no way I could fight anyone else in this condition. I needed to get home. 

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon. City-goers were starting to adopt their night personas. Lights were coming on in buildings and on signs. The gray city was being bathed in neon lights, yet I couldn’t appreciate any of it. The cold, winter air infected me through the opening in my suit. The cut radiated pain and made me stumble every few swings. Every breath made the pain triple. I needed to get home. 

As I neared my house I ran into a problem. The lights were on in the house and two cars were parked in the driveway. Gregory was home. Shit. That meant my room was being occupied by an unsuspecting brother and father. I needed medical attention, but I also needed to remain anonymous. What could I do?

A light clicked on in another house, not far from mine. Perfect. I felt a little guilty about what I was about to do, but my pain washed away most of it. I tapped a bloody knuckle on Peter’s window. A moment later he came rushing to it.

“Garden Spider!” he exclaimed, “What happened? Is- is that b-blood?” 

“Hey. I came to ask about the dry cleaning for the suit. I didn’t know if I should hand wash it or run with my normal clothes. But to answer your questions, some jewelry thieves with guns, and yes, it is blood. Please help.” I said calmly before falling through the window. Peter awkwardly caught me and eased me to the floor. He ran off to find some bandages or something. I looked at the wound. It was still gushing blood. That wasn’t good. Aunt May was going to get mad at me for staining the carpet. Wait. I was probably bleeding out, and I was worried about Aunt May’s fury? I suppose I should’ve been more worried about dying, but my thoughts were too slippery. Nothing would stay put. Was the room spinning, or was I flying? Peter came back with towels and a sewing kit. He laid out the towels to spare the carpet from violent redecoration. 

“We need to stop you from bleeding more,” Peter explained in a shaky voice. 

“Oh. That sounds like a good idea,” I agreed. I looked at the cut again. The blood was starting to clot, but it was still leaking an alarming amount of blood.

“That looks really painful,” he mumbled. I nodded, but the pain was mostly gone by now. Maybe it was super healing? No. I was numb everywhere, and I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes. That’s not good. 

“Could we speed this up, so I can pass out?” I asked politely. Peter’s face paled, but he prepared the sewing kit anyway.

“This is going to hurt,” he said before plunging the needle into my side. Fire engulfed my side. Everything was horrible. Every time the needle went through my skin, I fought the urge to vomit. I let out grunts of pain instead. I could lose my lunch later, just not in front of Peter. I still needed to keep up appearances. 

“Done,” he announced after, what I counted to be, three centuries of torture. I closed my eyes for a moment, but a harsh shake made them fly open.

“Sorry,” Peter apologized, “I just don’t think it’s a good idea for you to fall asleep just yet. We need to make sure that you’re able to get yourself home. Is it far? Wait, don't answer that. Um-” 

“Don’t worry about it,” I grumbled. My thoughts were starting to form again. Everything was still fuzzy but was becoming sharper. Static was building on my spine. Someone was coming. I needed to hide.

“Someone… is coming,” I groaned. Before Peter could ask me how I knew, footsteps could be heard from up the hall. He looked around frantically. I slid under the bed with some difficulty, and he hid the bloody medical supplies in miscellaneous areas. Then a knock came from the door.

“Peter? Can I come in?” Uncle Ben asked from the hallway.

“Y-yeah,” Peter called back, uncertainly. The door opened up and I watched Uncle Ben’s slippers drag along the floor towards Peter’s socks. 

“Is everything okay? I thought I heard someone in pain.” Uncle Ben asked in concern. I could practically hear Peter nodding. Uncle Ben sighed, clearly not convinced. 

“Fine,” he conceded, “I worry about you though, Peter. I know that you are going through a lot with the whole ‘Shocker’ thing. If you need me, I’m here for you.” With that, he left the room. He even closed the door. 

I wiggled out from under the cluttered bed. Peter glanced at me and turned around. I heard him sniffle multiple times, as I caught my breath. A few silent moments passed. 

“So you are involved with Shocker?” I asked, trying to be helpful. Peter sniffled a few more times before answering me.

“Y-yeah. M-mr. Shultz, or I g-guess you know h-him as Shocker, h-he w-was- we w-were. I-it’s complicated.” he mumbled. 

“I’m sorry for what I did. So many are suffering because of my ‘good’ deed.” I said. Peter turned around quickly to look at me. 

“W-what you did was th-the right thing! I kn-know that. Every-everyone knows that. It’s just…” he trailed off.

“It still hurts. It hurts like hell, even though it was the right thing.” I finished. He nodded as more tears slid down his face. He took off his glasses to wipe them away. 

“H-he was a g-good person. B-before he be-became a v-villain. I j-just w-wish I kn-knew why h-he d-did it.” he cried. 

“Everyone has their reasons, but sometimes those reasons aren’t enough. I wish they were. I wish I was the bad guy in this scenario, but I’m not. We all have to live with that as painful as it is.” I explained. We sat in silence for a few more minutes as Peter collected himself. 

“H-how did you kn-know someone was co-coming?” he asked. 

“It’s a little weird, if I’m honest.” I said, “Ever since the sp- the thing that gave me my powers, I’ve had this kind of sixth sense. When someone gets close I can sense them. Especially if they are trying to hurt me. It’s like TV static all up my spine.”

“A sixth sense?” he questioned.

“Yeah. I don’t really have a name for it. I just call it static or, if it’s really strong, fire.” I mentioned.

“So could you call it your… spider sense?” Peter offered. I looked at him. He had a smile painted across his face. My face twisted to match his, though he couldn’t tell through my mask.

“Spider sense,” I tested, “I like it. My spider sense.” We sat in pleased quiet for a while longer. My thoughts were clear now, and I told Peter such. He waved me off as I swung down the street. Once his window was closed, I swung back to my own house. 

I changed back into normal clothes. Then, I walked inside the house. Dad said his hello with little interest in my late arrival. I had told him earlier that I would be at Oscorp until seven. He only stopped me to tell me Gregory was here. I had forgotten. Great.

In my room Dad had pushed all my furniture and belongings to one half of the room. On the other half was a twin sized bed and half unpacked cardboard boxes. In the bed was a bored Gregory scrolling through his phone. When he noticed me he bounced up out of his bed.

“What is up, sister?” he asked cheerily. Oh, yeah. I haven’t told Gregory I’m non-binary yet. This was going to be even worse than I originally thought. 

“Nothing much. I’m tired though, so I’m going to bed.” I muttered while gathering my night clothes. 

“Aw. You don’t want to hangout with your big bro on his first night back?” he pouted. My nerves ground together. I hated how he got that annoying whine in his voice. 

“No, Gregory. I’m tired. I've had a stressful day. Please just let me sleep.” I declared. He huffed and fell back onto his bed dramatically. 

“Fine, but you’re boring,” he mumbled before scrolling through his phone again. Within a minute he was laughing at another loud music video. I glared at him as I left the room. In the bathroom I changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth. When I got back to the room Gregory was in the same place still laughing. 

“I’m going to bed now, Gregory.” I announced from the doorway. He groaned and looked at me.

“Really, Elliot? It’s like seven thirty!” he complained. 

“I know, but I’m exhausted. I’m going to bed. Please get earbuds, so I don’t have to listen to your videos as I try to sleep.” I asked in what I thought was a polite tone. With a lot of grumbling and complaining he got earbuds. I turned off the lights and settled into bed. 

I could still hear the whisper of music from Gregory’s earbuds, and he would randomly burst into fits of laughter. It was like he was trying to piss me off. Despite all the inconveniences I still fell asleep with ease. 

Sleep was no refuge. 

Stop Song

I was on a roof looking over the city in my civilian clothes. Everything was far away enough that it looked peaceful. I looked to my side. Heather was smiling down at the city with me. 

“Heather? What are you doing here?” I asked. She continued to grin at the cityscape, not uttering a word.

“Do you need me to do something for you? What’s wrong? Please let me help!” I screamed. The temperatures dropped as did the lighting. All I could see was Heather’s smiling face. 

“I wanted you to save me,” she said with cheer, “but you couldn’t even do that.” Ink filled the rest of my limited vision. When it cleared I was standing in the shell of a destroying building. It was freshly wrecked. Pipes were leaking and wires were sparking. Dust coated every surface. There was a hole in the wall leading to the chaotic outside. 

Outside people were scrambling for cover from the rampage of a man. He had a familiar yellow suit and clunky gloves. He was being ruthlessly attacked by an assailant in red. They collided multiple times, but pulled away quickly. Both seemed tired of fighting, yet wouldn’t stop. 

The fight only ended when the man let loose a surge of power that knocked down the one in red. However, the pulse also hit a bystander. She screamed as she fell to the cracked concrete. The winner stopped to survey the collateral damage. Only one person had been seriously injured. Her breath was shallow as she laid on the ground. Her normally lush, blonde hair had been cut in a harsh way. Her rosy cheeks were starting to pale. Heather was dying right in front of her would-be killer, Shocker. 

He fell to his knees. A loud, metallic screech echoed across the wrecked area. Then, a little softer, a hiss. His shoulders shook. From close up you could hear him mumbling, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Heather,” The sound of sirens grew closer. 

With great reluctance, Shocker got to his feet. His cries were being twisted into horrid groans of metal. It only made the moment all the more painful. I didn’t want to know there was a heart under all that iron. If everyone was hurt by me, then was I really a hero? When was too much too much? 

Keep watching, little spider. something whispered.

Shocker looked up at the bright, blue sky. He cursed loudly. The flashing lights of the police could be seen now. He looked at Heather once more. He ran. Without making sure she got medical attention. Without checking if she was alive. Without helping her. He just left. How could he do that? How was that right? Why didn’t he stay? Why didn’t he help? Why was he doing the wrong thing?

Now you see, little spider. You are not to blame, so chin up. There are much worse threats ahead of you. the voice said. Now wake up. There is work to do. Everything bled away like paint washed away by water. All that remained was me. 

Then my alarm went off. I opened my heavy eyes. The grey ceiling was all I saw. My eyes traced every mark, pocket, and imperfection along it. There were so many details in something so insignificant. 

“Elliot! Turn off your damn alarm!” Gregory yelled from his side of the room. I sat up to click off my phone. I surveyed Gregory's half of the room. Boxes were half opened with contents spilled across the room. His numerous clothes were already crumpled all over the floor. A few photos were mixed in the clothes. He seemed so happy in all of them. 

“Don’t you have school or something?” Gregory asked with impatience. I looked at him. He had his arm over his face and his blanket half on the floor. He looked done with the day already.

“I guess I do.” I muttered back. I slid out of bed to get ready. When I flicked on the light my brother let loose a string of creative curses. He buried himself under his blankets to hide from the rest of the light. This made my shell crack, and I laughed. It was no longer than a second, but I felt better. Once I finished getting dressed, I walked downstairs. Dad was brewing coffee in the kitchen. It was Wednesday, meaning he couldn't make breakfast or drive me to school, but we could still share a cup of coffee together. 

“Morning, bug. How was your sleep?” Dad asked with misplaced cheer. I remembered my dream that flowed into a vision with a mysterious voice. Heather’s dying body. Mr. Shultz’s metallic cries. My churning thoughts. I was still exhausted and sad.

“Great,” I lied. 

“I’m glad. Do you want me to pour you a cup?” he offered. 

“Do you even need to ask?” I questioned. 

“Cream and sugar too?” he asked as he laughed.

“I’ll drop the sugar. I’m wanting a more bitter drink today.” I mentioned. 

“Interesting, but okay,” he said while he prepared my cup. Once my mug was in my hands Dad’s mood changed. His easy smile was replaced with a tense expression. Something was going to happen.

“What is it, Dad?” I asked, wanting to get it over with. He sighed.

“I was thinking that since Heather will be released soon, you should go see her,” he said quickly. I stood up making my chair skid back.  

“You know I can’t.” I declared.

“She’s your sister, Elliot! It’s been weeks. You need to see her.” he argued back.

“I can’t,” I repeated.

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Both!”

“You will be seeing her. Tonight, and that’s final.”

I grabbed my backpack and ran out of the house. I ran and ran until I reached the bus stop. I still had another ten minutes before the bus arrived. I cursed to myself and sat on the curb. I didn’t deserve to see Heather. Why couldn’t Dad see that?

“Elliot, you ass. I was so worried about you!” Peter yelled as tackled me into a hug. I let out a yelp. He landed right on my wound. Venom shot through my veins and my vision went dark for a second. 

“Did I hurt you?” Peter fretted.

“N-no. You just surprised me,” I lied. 

“Good,” he sighed with relief.

“Now I can get mad at you,” he said seriously, “I thought you had died or something last night when you didn’t visit me or answer any of my calls or texts. I called your Dad. He said that you said you were at Oscorp, but Harry said that the internship didn’t start until next Monday. What were you doing last night that was so important, Elliot?” I couldn’t tell him the truth. Not after last night. I needed to come up with something fast. 

“I… I was… I was looking for Garden Spider. Yes. I was looking for Garden Spider.” I stammered. Peter looked at me funny.

“Why would you go looking for Garden Spider? Don’t you hate them?” he asked. 

“Y-yes,” I agreed with uncertainty, “and um- that’s why I was looking for them. I wanted to… fight them! Yeah. I wanted to challenge them to a fight to prove who was better. I didn’t find them though. I was searching all night, that’s why I didn’t respond to your texts or calls.” Peter was quiet for a moment. Did he see through me? Did he know I was lying?

“Elliot. You can’t fight a superhero. That’s just stupid. They have super strength and a spi- an insane amount of training.” he said slowly. 

“Yeah. It was a stupid idea.” I agreed, “I won’t do it again. Probably.” 

“Probably?” Peter called out loudly, as the bus pulled up. I ran onto the bus without another word. I found a seat next to someone, so I didn’t have to talk to Peter anymore. Why was it so hard to keep up two lives?

The first half of the school day passed in a boring blur. Peter kept shooting me weird glances, as if he was evaluating my sanity levels. Skylar was still giving me the cold shoulder. My teachers seemed to notice my exhaustion, so, being the merciful people they are, they gave me twice the amount of work as usual. My day didn’t brighten up until lunch.

“How’s it going, Elliot?” Harry asked with a chipper I didn’t share. 

“Not much, just debating why we exist. How about you?” I replied, darkly.

“Is everything okay? You seem… down.” he said delicately. 

“It’s-it’s nothing.” I mumbled. I picked at my lunch, not bothering to anywhere near my mouth. 

“Are you sure? I hate to see yo- anyone so upset.” he commented.

“I-I have to go visit my sister today.” I mumbled in a low voice. I had hoped he wouldn’t hear, but he gave a curious look that told me he did.

“Why is that a bad thing?” he asked.

“I don’t think I deserve to see her.” I uttered.

“Why not? You’re an amazing person, Elliot. Anyone and everyone should get to know you because you are that wonderful! Any one who says otherwise can have a talk with me.” he defended. I smiled wearily. 

“You don’t really know me all that well, Harry.” I mentioned.

“No, but every part that I do know is lovely.” he stubbornly replied. 

“Thanks for the pep-talk, coach.” I chuckled lightly. 

“It’s easy to do for someone as awesome as you. Anyway, yesterday Peter seemed a little worried about where you were. Can you tell me what was going on?” Harry asked, both curious and concerned. 

“It’s embarrassing. I don’t really want to tell you.” I mumbled into my water bottle right before taking a sip. 

“Please tell me. Pretty please with a banana split sundae on the side?” he begged. 

“No. No. No. No. I won’t tell you know matter how much you bribe me with fake treats.” I remarked.

“Who said anything about fake treats?” he asked slyly. I looked at him with my eyes narrowed.

“Is that a promise?” I said seriously.

“Yes indeed. Whatever ice cream you want if you tell me where you were last night.” he nodded. 

“A whole pint- wait- two pints of mint chocolate chip, and you have yourself a deal!” I declared.

“A boring choice in flavor but deal. So spill it. Where were you last night?” he demanded. 

“Okay, but no laughing at me. Or worrying for that matter. So I was- kind of- sort of- maybe… hunting down a fight with Garden Spider.” I quickly said. Harry was quiet for a moment. I listened to the bustle of the cafeteria around us. 

“Hm, are you still alive, Harry?” I questioned.

“You. Tried. To. Fight. A. Superhero?” he asked slowly. 

“Yes?” I answered with uncertainty. All of a sudden he started laughing uncontrollably. It echoed across the lunch room. Everyone got quiet, so all you could hear was Harry’s heaving laughs. After a minute of chuckling he quieted down. Another minute later everyone was buzzing about his sudden outburst. He wiped the tears from his eyes as he looked at me. My face was fully flushed.

“I told you not to laugh!” I harshly whispered.

“I-I’m s-so sorry.” he giggled.

“Clearly. See this is why I didn’t want to tell you.” I grumbled. In reality, I was happy he was taking it so lightly, unlike Peter.

“I couldn’t help it,” he grinned.

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, chucklehead.” I said, rolling my eyes.

“Hey, Elliot. You might be interested in this article.” Peter cut in.

“What? Why?” I asked, as he passed me his phone. It was a blog post about the robbery Garden Spider stopped. My eyes skimmed over the text. Words floated towards me. ‘Hero’ and ‘spectacular’ stayed in my brain. 

“What is it?” Harry wondered, trying to look over my shoulder.

“Garden Spider stopped a jewelry theft,” I mumbled, hanging the phone off to him. He read over the short passage. 

“See. Lots of people think Garden Spider is a hero, so why do you want to fight them, Elliot?” Peter pressured. 

“I-um. It’s complicated. I’d really prefer not to get into it.” I replied, a little nervously. 

“You know what they do is dangerous right? They could die. They almost did die! Why are you still so against them?” he continued. 

“Because I think they deserve it, all right!” I shouted. The area around us quieted down. I blushed and looked down at my half-eaten lunch. The table was quiet for a minute. 

“Why do you think Garden Spider almost died, Peter. The post only mentions they were hurt, not critically injured.” Harry remarked. I looked at Peter. He fidgeted nervously in his seat for a second. He shakily exhaled.

“I figured Elliot would be more sympathetic if Garden Spider were closer to death. I was just stretching the truth a bit.” he uttered. Harry nodded, as both their eyes turned towards me. 

“Oh, um- yeah. Sorry, right. I’d just prefer if we dropped the topic, for now.” I mumbled. Peter lied to us. He was keeping the encounter a secret. I thought for sure he was going to blab, but he didn’t. He kept quiet. A small smile tugged at my lips. 

I knew I had good friends. 

The bell rang, dismissing us to our next class. The group split up with hurried goodbyes. No one wanted to stay in the awkward mess we had created. The last classes of the day were as stressful and boring as the ones before them. By the time the day ended, my brain felt like it had melted like a popsicle in the merciless, summer sun. Then I noticed Dad’s car, and my brain refroze. I had to go see Heather.

I got into the car. Dad tried to start a conversation, but I just shut him down every time. I didn’t have the bandwidth to talk to anyone. Too much was swirling in my head, yet I couldn’t put any of it into words. All I knew was I wasn’t ready to see Heather yet. 

Dad pulled up in front of the hospital, but not to the parking lot.

“Are you not coming with me?” I asked, a little panicked.

“I think this is something you need to do by yourself, Elliot.” Dad said solemnly.

“Fine.” I mumbled as I got out of the car.

Time to face my little sister.

Chapter Text

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8QcQgz0cjM

A/N: Sorry about the late update. The next one should still be on time. This part's song is Freaking Out by The Wrecks. Don't start it until it says. 

Dad pulled up in front of the hospital, but not to the parking lot.

“Are you not coming with me?” I asked, a little panicked.

“I think this is something you need to do by yourself, Elliot.” Dad said solemnly.

“Fine.” I mumbled as I got out of the car.

Time to face my little sister.

The mechanical doors slid open with a light hiss. People were waiting in chairs, and others were pacing. Everyone seemed on edge. Great, just what I needed right now. I approached the desk hesitantly. 

“Hi. Um- I’m here to see Heather Elrod. Do you know what room she’s in?” I asked. The desk attendant gave me a passing glance and continued to type on his computer. Did I do something wrong? Did he not hear me? Is something wrong? 

“Third floor. Room E307.” he said. Was he talking to me? What was happening? I just wanted to go home and sleep. My side hurt. 

“Well, she’s in room E307. You can go now.” the desk attendant repeated with impatience. 

“Oh, okay. Right. Thank you. Bye. Have a good day.” I mumbled as I sped away. Why was I like this? I kept my head down the entire walk to the elevator and through the numerous hallways. Somehow, without looking at a map, I was able to navigate my way to Heather’s room without getting lost. 

The room was dim. The only light was above Heather’s bed bathing her in a harsh white light that bleached her pale skin. She was so pale I could track the veins in her arms. The other beds were empty. All the dormant machines were silent, so the only thing I could hear was the slow beep of Heather’s pulse and her steady breaths. The whole seemed to be holding its breath, just waiting for tragedy to strike. 

 I sat by Heather’s bed in a fold-up chair I found by the wall. I just stared at her for a few minutes. She was really alive. Despite her paleness and obvious damage, I could see she was still fighting. Heather was still alive and kicking. 

That was what broke me. 

I started sobbing onto her bed. Uncontrollable heaving cries. I could barely breathe. She was alive. She was safe. Everything was okay. I could stop pretending I was okay. After a few minutes I tried to control my breathing. With the help of some breathing exercises I managed to slow my panicked gasps to steady sighs. 

“Do you want to know why I avoided seeing you for so long, Heather?” I asked. She didn’t respond.

“I thought you wouldn’t want to see me,” I admitted, “I thought that this -what happened to you- was my fault. I-I’ve been a bad sibling. I wasn’t there to protect you. I’m never there to protect you. Now you’re… You’ll never… Damn it!” I stood up and punched the wall in a fit of rage. My hand went through the plaster with ease. I pulled my fist out and dust rained from it and the hole in the wall.  

“Oh shit,” I mumbled. I looked around for something to cover the harsh gap. My eyes landed on a depressing painting in the corner of the room. It was a little out of place on the wall where the hole was, but it hid my mistake. Once the crisis was averted I looked at my hand. It was fine. Not a bruised knuckle or piece of torn skin. Neat. I sat back down on the chair. Heather was still asleep, but I felt embarrassed nonetheless. 

“Sorry about that,” I muttered, “I’m just so upset- no, heartbroken- about what happened to you. I mean, you’ll never walk again, and I think that’s my fault. It’s not. I know that. I just can’t believe it. That’s why I’ve been doing what I’ve been doing. I want to try and fix my mistake. So no one ends up like you.

“Mr. Shultz did this to you. It is his fault, but I can’t stay mad at him. It’s easier to hate myself rather than hate him. He helped raise us. How could he do this? Why? Why did this have to happen? I just want to know why.” I started to cry again. Warm tears slid down my cheeks, but I kept talking. 

“I wish you didn’t have to be hurt. I wish our family wasn’t being torn apart. I wish… I wish everything was back to how it was before. We would go to Aunt May’s for dinner, and everyone would be happy. I loved those moments. I wish we could go back.” I paused, letting more tears drip down my face. 

“But we can’t. We’ll never be able to sit down and play Monopoly. We’ll never be able to share hot coco and gossip by the fireplace. We’ll never be able to swim in the lake playing Marco Polo until our hands prune. We’ll never be able to carve pumpkins and bake the seeds to eat later. Not all together. Our family is broken, but not gone. We just need to keep going. Eventually we’ll all, not forget, but move past all the pain Mr. Shultz has caused us. Someday. Someday we’ll get better.” I cried quietly for a minute. Then I felt a tap on my arm. Heather had sat up so she could easily look at me. Even when her body looked so frail, her gaze held the same stubborn fire they always did. 

“N-none of th-this-s is y-your fault-t,” she croaked. Her voice sounded like it hadn’t been used in weeks, “S-s-so stop crying-g a-about it-t. Y-you’re g-getting my bed-d sheets-s w-wet.” I laughed loudly. She really was here and alive. Already complaining, but alive. I wiped my eyes with my sweater sleeve. I laughed a little more before pulling her into a fierce hug. She hissed in pain, and I pulled back suddenly.

“Are you okay? Did I hurt you? I’m so sorry.” I said in rapid fire. After breathing for a moment, Heather regarded me with an amused expression. 

“Yeah, your sudden-n affection for me r-really injured me. Either th-that or my broken s-spine.” she joked. A small smile crept on my face. I missed her quick humor. 

“I never was one for hugs, but I think this situation deserves it. So, if I’m careful, can I hug you?” I asked.

“Yes, E-elliot, you can hug me. It’s not-t that big of a d-deal, you know.” she mumbled. I slowly wrapped my arms around her body. I made sure to only apply a light squeeze, this time. I withdrew my arms to beam at her. 

“S-see. Not dead-d” Heather said sarcastically. 

“Yeah, yeah. I know. I was just trying to be considerate.” I defended. 

“Whatever. How have you b-been Elliot? It’s been s-so long-g since we talked.” she mentioned. My mind quickly flipped through all the panic attacks and depressive episodes I’ve been through. Every fake smile tugged at my cheeks, and every hollow laugh echoed in my brain. All the hellish nightmares that woke me up in the middle of the night pulled at my sanity. 

Start Song

“I-I’ve been good. Pretty good.” I said with another fake smile.

“Really? Dad made it sound like you were going through something every time he visited.” she voiced.

“Dad has been talking about me?” I questioned. Great, another issue to deal with.

“Yeah. He’s worried about you, Elliot. He said something about sneaking out and not eating. He also mentioned how your grades were dropping. Are you sure you’re okay?” she asked again. 

“I… I… I’m not, but you guys can’t do anything about it. Just don’t worry about it. I’ll figure it out myself.” I explained.

“No. Elliot, family is there to help. Let us help you. Please tell me.” she pressured.

“I don’t know if I should.” I mumbled.

“I’m your sister, Elliot. I promise no one else will have to hear about it. Just tell me what it is.” she said.

“Okay. Fine. So you see-”

“Dinner time, Heather. Oh- you have a guest.” a nurse announced as she walked into the room. She was holding a tray with a steaming meal.

“Thanks, Nurse Gaines. I can eat it by myself, though.” Heather stammered, trying to save our conversation. 

“Alright, but your guest will have to leave while you eat. Those are just the rules.” Nurse Gaines said, firmly. Heather gave me a sad look then looked back at the nurse. She nodded and let Nurse Gaines lead me out of the room. 

“You can tell me next time you visit, Elliot!” Heather called as I walked out of the room. I looked back at her. I nodded. Her face lit up right before the door closed. On the way back to the exit I got lost multiple times, but once I finally got out I realized what I just agreed to. I said I was going to visit Heather again. Even worse, I had to admit that I am Garden Spider. 

Dad pulled the car in front of me. I opened the door and sat down in the passenger seat. As I was buckling open Dad started talking and pulling out of the parking lot. 

“How did it go?” he asked with enthusiasm.

“It went… well,” I mumbled while staring blankly out at the city. I had to admit that I am Garden Spider to Heather. 

“Do you want to talk about it, or…?” he questioned, very clearly wanting me  to talk about it. 

“I choose or,” I mumbled. He gave an annoyed huff, but stopped talking. Heather was going to learn I am Garden Spider. How could I avoid this? I could just not tell her. I could lie. That’s what I’ve been doing to everyone, why would it be any different for Heather? My stomach twisted into knots at the thought. I wanted her to know. Someone had to know. I was going to tell Heather I am Garden Spider. Dad pulled the car into our driveway. I hopped out of the car and walked inside without hesitating. I walked into the kitchen to prepare dinner, but I found Gregory already making something. 

“Oh, hey, sis. I’m making parmesan chicken with sides of cheesy mashed potatoes and green beans. I also picked up some ice cream for dessert.” he explained, while stirring a pot on the stove. I looked around at the nearly spotless kitchen, and took a moment to appreciate the mouth-watering scent coming from the oven. 

“What kind of ice cream?” I asked looking around for something to do to help.

“My favorite, chocolate chip cookie dough. Hey, could you check on the chicken?” he mentioned.

“Ugh. Not cookie dough. You know mint chocolate chip is the best, right?” I groaned. With an oven mitt I pulled out the rack holding the pan of chicken. I stuck the meat thermometer in one of the pieces.

“No, no, no. Mint and chocolate? Gross. I was paying so I got to choose.” he argued. I rolled my eyes and checked the temperature on the thermometer. Perfect. Reaching into the oven I tried to pull out the pan, but as I pulled it out my wrist brushed along the side of the oven. I cursed, but didn’t drop the pan. Gregory looked over at me. I dropped the pan on the counter quickly to try and cover my wrist. I wasn’t fast enough.

“Are you okay? Did you burn yourself?” he asked in a worried rapid fire. 

“Yeah, fine. I didn’t burn myself. No issues here. So how are the green beans coming along?” I remarked trying to change the subject. Gregory grabbed my burned wrist. Let out a loud yelp as he dragged me to the sink. He put my hand under a flow of cool water. 

“I’m fine. Why are you doing this? It’s not like I burned myself.” I said still trying to escape the situation. 

“Really, Elliot? You didn’t burn yourself?” he asked with clear disbelief. Holding up my arm, he showed my wrist. It was red and irritated. Out of the water the burning sensation came back, and I winced. 

“Obviously you didn’t burn yourself.” he glared. 

“What’s going on in here?” Dad asked from the kitchen doorway. 

“Just making dinner!” I called out quickly.

“Elliot is burning herself and trying to cover it up.” Gregory calmly replied after me. I glared at him, but I couldn’t for long. Dad was suddenly examining my wrist. 

“Are you okay? What happened? Do you need anything?” Dad worried.  

“I’m fine! Stop asking if I’m fine. I’m fine.” I shouted. Both Gregory and Dad were taken back. Before they could ask anymore questions, I ran upstairs to my room. I curled up into a ball on my bed. I couldn’t deal with all the questions. I needed everything to be quiet. The room slowly got darker as the sun set, until all I could was gray outlines of furniture and boxes. A light clicked on the hallway. A soft knock came from the door. Gregory walked in with a plate and a sorrowful face. 

“Hey,” he greeted softly. I looked at him without saying anything.

“I brought you dinner. I thought you might be hungry.” he continued, “You know, we only ask questions because we worry. I promise we don’t want to suffocate you.”

“I know you guys are worried. Everyone is worried about me. They should stop. I don’t want to be worried over. I’m fine. I’m fine.” I declared. 

“I don’t think you are.” he added.

“So what if I’m not? What can you do about it?” I snapped.

“I want to help you, Elliot! We all just want to help you.” he replied, angrily.

“I don’t need help. I don’t want help, so leave me alone.” I said with cold fury. 

“Fine! If you don’t want help, I won’t give it. Good night, Elliot.” Gregory huffed before storming out of the room. I sat in tense silence for a few minutes. When my stomach finally couldn’t take it anymore, I dragged the plate to my bed. Despite my rumbling stomach, I could hardly eat. I needed to clear my head. 

In my closet I found the perfect outfit for a night stroll. I examined the tear on the side. Blood was still caked along it. My fingers dragged along the gap, while my thoughts focused on my side. A noticeable pain could still be felt. It has only been a day since I nearly died. Was I really prepared to risk my life again? What if Peter wasn’t awake to stitch me up again? What if I wasn’t as lucky as last time? My breathing started to speed up. My thoughts started to loop the encounter. The horrible sound of the guns. The terrified faces of the customers. My own overwhelming fear. Could I really do that again? 

Right now I needed to slow my breathing. With extreme difficulty I managed to bring my panicked gasps back into less panicked sighs. I sat back down on my bed with my suit laid out next to me. I wasn’t ready to risk my life again. 

I put my back fully on the bed and closed my eyes. Unimportant shapes floated in my vision. I watched them with interest. The way they changed shape and color. The chaos in their movement. The freedom. That’s all I wanted. 

I sat up suddenly and opened my eyes. Freedom, that’s what I wanted. I looked at my suit. The orange fabric looked black in the low lighting, but the green still held some of its vibrancy. A beam of light highlighted the green spider on the chest. I stared at the symbol remembering the feeling of soaring through the air. My eyes then looked at the gash in the cloth. The pain and fear I felt. Was it worth it? 

With hesitance, I picked up the suit. My eyes dragged over it one more time. Every cress and thread that made it up. It was an outfit for a hero. Was I ready to be a hero? I looked at the gash one last time.

I couldn’t be a hero. Not with that tear in my suit. With my limited sewing knowledge, I managed to repair the hole with some thread and needles I found. With ease I slipped the suit on. Pain still echoed from my side, but it was drowned out by the coldness of the wind. I swung towards the lights of the city. After all, what was the point of a hero if there was no crime to fight? 

Stop Song

As I neared the lively parts of town, my blood warmed up. I no longer felt the chill of the night. I smiled wickedly and did a flip mid-air. This was amazing. The tug of gravity, then the defiance of it. With every web I was higher in the air. Once I was high enough I would dive towards the busy streets. Another web, another jump in adrenaline. I laughed wildly. 

I kept this up for a while. Then my spider sense kicked in. It dragged me down a narrow street. This street was quicker than most. A residential area. A basketball goal creaked and lights were clicked off inside a house. Everything was still and quiet. Not for long. 

My eyes flicked over everything in the vicinity. Nothing was amiss. Was my spider sense wrong? No. There. A suspicious figure lurked in the shadows. They crept closer to a house.The lights in the house were off. Another shadow appeared next to the first. They both made their way to the empty house’s porch. A moment later, they were inside. 

Time to act. I jumped down from my perch and swung down to the open door. I glanced inside. The thieves had left the lights off, but I could hear them moving around further inside. I walked in making sure to listen. They could be anywhere. In the other room, one of them was rifling through a container. 

“Stealing is wrong, you know,” I said. As the robber whirled around, I webbed her up. She started to call out, but I shut him up with a web to the mouth. I placed a finger over my mouth. Upstairs I heard a thump. I ran up the stairs as quietly as possible. In a room the other robber was holding a gun towards a young child. Static lit up along my spine. 

“NO!” I shouted. I tackled the thief from behind. BANG! Nothing hurt on my body. I looked at the kid. His whole body was shaking. There was a hole in the wall six inches away from his face. 

“Go call the police,” I told the kid. He looked at me, fear etched into every part of his face, “It’s okay. You’re okay. Just go call the police.” I said again trying to control my voice. This time he started to run. The thief I tackled was getting to his feet now. He was grasping for his weapon. 

“Oh no you don’t,” I mumbled under my breath. I webbed the hand closest to the gun and yanked backward. He stumbled backward and turned to look at me.

“Who the hell are you?” he asked in a gravelly voice. 

“Someone who doesn’t want to deal with your bullshit anymore.” I replied as I brought my fist to his face. He fell to his knees with his eyes blinking rapidly. I grabbed the collar of his shirt and dragged him downstairs. Another moment he was webbed next to his partner in crime. Sirens could be heard in the distance. Good, the kid listened to me. 

I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen. I described what happened and signed. 

Best Wishes,

Garden Spider!   

I smiled at the neat calligraphy. Lights could now be seen outside. Time to go. As I approached the door I felt someone looking at me. Behind me the kid was watching me with wide eyes.

“Stay safe kid, and stay in school,” I called as I walked out of the door. As I was swinging away, I felt a feeling of pride balloon in my chest. I took down the robbers without hurting myself. No one else got hurt. I actually helped people. 

A few minutes later I was cheerfully swinging through the city. In the corner of my eye I saw a red shadow following me. Great. I dropped to a flat roof and hid behind a heating unit. I heard the gravel shift beneath the person’s feet. They were on the roof with me now. I tried to track where they were, but I lost track of their footsteps. I strained my ears. Nothing but traffic and booming music from below. 

My spine lit up with my spider sense. I turned around to face the mysterious person. They were in a black and red costume I had only seen once before. This time the part of his face was twisted in shock.

“I know there was no way you could have heard me coming. How did you know?” he asked.

“Nice to see you too, Daredevil,” I mumbled. 

“Answer the question,” he demanded.

“Just a skill I have. How did you find me again?” I questioned.

“Just a skill I have,” he said, twisting my own words.

“How helpful,” I sighed, “Now what do you need? I was hoping to get home at a reasonable hour.” 

“I was curious as to what the Garden Spider was doing,” he responded. 

“Just swinging around the city trying to clear my head. What about you? What is the Devil of Hell’s Kitchen doing so far out of his area? Still chasing the one higher on the payroll?” I asked with an edge of humor. 

“Yes, I am. Turns out he is harder to catch than I thought.” he muttered. Without saying anything, he turned his head to the side quickly as if listening to something. I closed my eyes trying to hear what he was. Nothing remarkable could be heard.

“I may actually need your help,” he said, turning back to me. 

“And if I decide to decline?” I wondered. 

“You won't,” he replied with confidence. 

“How do you know that?” 

“Because you’re the same as me. Addicted to the thrill of the fight.” With that he leapt off the roof and dashed in a direction. I watched his form slowly fade into the distance. Was I really going to follow him into some den of criminals? 

I swung away. I wasn’t addicted to ‘the thrill of the fight’. He had it wrong. Sure I like fighting, but this, fighting bad guys, it was terrifying. It makes me feel that every moment is my last. Why would I want more of that?

“What’s the game plan?” I asked as I landed next to Daredevil. He smiled, then dropped it quickly.

“There are over twenty guys in there. They are guarding some precious cargo, most likely drugs. If we bust them less funds go to the high-ups. It will help destabilize them more.” he explained, “We need to take down everyone in the building, so the police can move in and do the rest.” 

“Sounds simple enough. Plus, less drugs on the streets. Always a good thing.” I added. He nodded, but seemed focused on something else.

“There will be a guy exiting right there,” he pointed to a rusty back door of the warehouse we were surveying, “We will take him out and work our way through the building clearing the rest. Understand?” 

“Perfectly. Let’s go kick some drug dealer ass,” I said enthusiastically. 

“This isn’t a game. These men will kill you without hesitation.” he gravely remarked.

“I know, but I’m not dead yet. So I’m fine. Completely fine. Let’s go.” I replied. 

“Maybe this was a bad idea,” he muttered to himself. Instead of arguing, I dropped down off the roof. Just like Daredevil said, a man emerged from the old warehouse. He was holding a pistol in one hand and seemed on edge. With a distracting web, I snuck up behind him and choked him out. He fell unconscious. 

Daredevil appeared next to me. He placed a finger over his mouth and crept into the building with a surprising amount of silence. I followed a moment after with a similar level of noise. The hallways were empty for a while, but then I heard the chatter of some people ahead. Daredevil pulled out something that looked like a baton, but it was hard to tell in the low lighting. He motioned for me to draw my own weapons. Instinctively I signed I don’t have weapons, just my fists. 

He obviously didn’t understand what I said. I got annoyed and sighed. We continued forward towards the noise. We paused right in front of the doorway. There were probably six or seven guys inside. I waited for his signal. Now.

I launched into the room slamming into one of the men. He tumbled easily. Daredevil came in delivering furious blows  to any who got close enough, but I couldn’t focus on him. The one I tackled was drawing his gun. I twisted his hand, making him drop his gun. While holding his arm, I brought my elbow down on his face. From behind I felt my spider sense go off. I ducked. A pistol went over my head. 

I turned around to glare at the attacker. Another one was leveling his gun to fire at me. I jumped out of the way just as I heard the BANG! My hands stuck to the ceiling as I kicked him in the head. 

“That’s what you get for shooting me,” I muttered. I dropped to the ground.

“What the hell are you?” asked the one who tried to hit me with his pistol.

“I’m a spider, duh,” I replied. He didn’t get to respond because I threw a jab at him. The one I had elbowed was crawling towards a gun. I kicked the gun away. 

“No more toys for you,” I said. He looked up with a murderous glare. I gave him a similar stink eye and another elbow to the head. On the other side of the room, all the other men were out cold or groaning in pain. 

“Come on, Garden Spider,” Daredevil mumbled. I nodded and followed him through the winding hallways, “More are coming. They heard the gunshot and are on edge. Fingers on the trigger.” he supplied. 

“So should we play stealth or just brawl as they come to us?” I questioned. He thought for a moment. 

“Can you see in the dark?” he asked. I thought back to all the times I’ve been in the dark. I was always able to sense when things were near me, even if I couldn’t see them. 

“Kind of, but I’ve never fully tested it out,” I explained. With that he brought his baton down on a pipe. It broke with ease. The dim lights flickered then died completely. I smiled and climbed up the wall.

“Stealth it is. Just make sure to stay out of my way. I can’t really tell who is who now.” I mentioned. He whispered for me to be quiet. Flashlights beamed down the hallway, lighting up the cluttered area. Daredevil was nowhere to be seen. The light did not reach the ceiling so my position was safe. 

“Dammit. Why did the power have to go out now?” one of them mumbled. There seemed to be three people advancing down towards us. 

“Probably just a blown fuse,” the other said. Then a red blur attacked the silent third one. The other two tried to turn to help their comrade, but I shot two webs to hold them back. I crouched on the ceiling so the only thing they could see was two ominous web strands fading into the darkness. 

“What the hell?” one asked. He angled his flashlight up at me. 

“Surprise,” I called. Daredevil grabbed their heads and made them collide. The flashlight dropped to the ground making it impossible for me to see what was happening. The sounds made me glad that I couldn’t see it, however.

“You can still track me in the dark, right?” Daredevil checked. 

“Yeah, I’ll follow you from the wall,” I mentioned. 

“I know,” he stated.

“So you can see in the dark?” I wondered, “How does that work? And how do you know so much about the enemies in the building? How did you know how to knock out the lights? And how-”

“Questions later,” he growled. He clicked off the flashlight and continued down the hallway. 

“Alright. No need to be so rude,” I mumbled. I crept along the ceiling following my spider sense. It was impossible to hear Daredevil, but somehow I knew that he was near. I couldn’t pinpoint his exact location, but it was still useful. 

“Someone turn on the damn lights already!” a rough voice shouted further down the hall. I heard a wet thump and a body falling.

“What was that?” someone asked. A person was creeping down the hall. They were right under me. I dropped down, putting them in a choke hold. My weight made them fall to the floor. They clawed at my arms, but fell asleep not long after. More noise was coming from the other end of the hallway. As I made my way I kicked anyone who was still awake. One person was still standing. I brought a sharp one two combo down on them, and they weren’t standing for much longer. 

“That’s everyone on this level,” Daredevil said from beside me. I jumped three feet into the air.

“You scared me,” I grumbled.

“I thought you said you could move in the dark?” he observed.

“I said kind of. Plus you’re stealthy. It’s a little more difficult,” I defended. 

“You held your own pretty well though.” he mentioned.

“So you can see in the dark!” I declared. He stayed quiet and walked down the hall to a flight of stairs. 

“Are you ready for the next wave?” he asked.

“Bring it on,” I smiled.

We spent the next hour or so taking down criminals. I ended up with some bruises and scratches, but nothing life-threatening. Daredevil had a lot more damage down to him, yet he didn’t complain once. We met up on the roof once we cleared the building. 

“That was exhausting,” I sighed and sat down to catch my breath.

“Yet you still did it. I was right. You enjoy this as much as I do.” he wryly smiled. 

“I didn’t do this because of the fighting. I hate that part.” I clarified.

“Really? You produce more dopamine and endorphins while fighting. Your heartbeat quickens. You seem to enjoy it.” he explained.

“I’ve been boxing for years, so of course I love it. I hate fighting these… people. They want to kill me. It scares me. I hate having my life so vulnerable, but I need to do this. I need to stop them. I need to save people because I couldn’t- I need to save them.” I responded.

“Couldn’t save who?” he pried.

“No one. I just need to do this.” I deflected.

“Everyone has their reasons for choosing this life. You need to be sure of those reasons, otherwise you will get killed.” he uttered. He was quiet for a moment as if thinking of some other time.

“Anyway, how did you know about my hormone levels and heartbeat?” I asked, “I thought you had increased senses, but to know that much… It’s incredible. I can only imagine what your vision is like.” He chuckled, but stopped quickly. Exhaling shakily he shifted his weight.

“Do you need to go to the hospital?” I questioned. 

“No. I’m fine. You said you needed to get home, so go home Garden Spider. Until we meet again.” Daredevil said before launching himself off the roof. I tried to track his movement, but I quickly lost sight of him. 

“Good-bye, Daredevil,” I mumbled to the empty roof. I stood up a few minutes later. The swing home was uneventful. My brain was filled with the excitement of the night. I fought with Daredevil. Not just that,  knew his powers now. I thought of all the possibilities those powers would offer. I wondered about who he was in his civilian life. 

I landed softly on the roof of my house. The lights were off. It was probably close to midnight, so everyone was asleep. I placed a hand on the window to open it. I carefully climbed along the wall and closed the window with my foot. I shot a web at the door handle and slowly closed the door from the wall. With a relieved sigh, I removed my mask. 

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the light pressure of my spider sense until my mask was completely off. Then the roaring fire directed my gaze to the other half of the room. Gregory had his laptop open on his lap. His face was twisted in utter shock.

“WHAT THE FU-”

Chapter Text

With a relieved sigh, I removed my mask.

Unfortunately, I didn’t notice the light pressure of my spider sense until my mask was completely off. Then the roaring fire directed my gaze to the other half of the room. Gregory had his laptop open on his lap. His face was twisted in utter shock.

“WHAT THE FU-”

Quickly, I shot a web over his gaping mouth, cutting off the rest of his shout. I stayed frozen for a moment. Did I just reveal my identity to my brother? He stood up suddenly and started awkwardly sighing in a frenzy.

“Stop. Stop. Stop. I can’t understand what you are saying.” I said. Gregory pointed sharply to his mouth then made a harsh ripping motion.

“You won’t start screaming, will you?” I asked. He shook his head no. Gingerly, I ripped the webbing off. He let out a small yelp of pain, but was quiet afterward.

“You’re a superhero.” he muttered. A moment later he was much louder, “You’re a superhero!”

“Not so loud. We can’t wake up Dad.” I tried, but he was too busy freaking out.

“I can’t believe it,” Gregory exclaimed, “You, Elliot, are a superhero! Some sort of spider girl or whatever. I can’t believe it. You, my little sister. You have powers. I can’t believe my sist-”

“I am not your sister!” I whispered harshly, “Now shut up, so you don’t wake up Dad!” He closed his mouth to stare at me. We waited in tense silence as we strained to listen for any sign Dad was awake. When we heard nothing, I sat down wearily on my bed.

“What do you mean you’re not my sister?” he asked haltingly. I looked at his demeanor. His shoulders were slumped and his face pained. I let out a long exhale.

“I’m non-binary. I use they/them pronouns. Not a girl. Not a boy. I’m just… me,” I explained.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, his voice cracking a little. I closed my eyes. This was difficult.

“I don’t know. I just didn’t think you’d listen to me. All I am to you is a little sister. How could I be anything different to you?” I sighed.

“I feel like I don’t even know you, Elliot,” he admitted, “I know that I’ve been off at college lately, but for years you’ve been pushing me away. A little sister is the only way I see because it is the only version of you I know. I want us to have a proper brother sis- sibling relationship. Can we start over and build up to that?”

“I’d like to try,” I said. We sat in the dark room for another minute in awkward silence.

“Can I give you a hug?” he mumbled.

“Yes, I would love a hug right now,” I replied quickly. He got out of his bed and wrapped his arms around me. I slid mine under his and squeezed tightly. Gregory made a strangled gasping sound.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry. Sometimes I forget my own strength. I swear I didn’t do that on purpose. I’m so so sorry,” I stammered as I pushed him away. Gregory laughed.

“It’s okay. I was just surprised. You really do have super strength. And a killer costume, as far as I can tell.” he added. I looked down at my outfit. Everything was grayscale because of the dim light.

“Right. Let’s fix that,” I told myself. With a flick of my wrist, a web knocked the light switch on. The bright light made me squint, but I could now see Gregory in his oversized nightshirt and delighted expression.

“You have… what even are those? Are they webs?” he asked with equal parts surprise and excitement.

“Yeah… My powers are pretty random. Or at least I thought so for a while.” I explained, “I think I got my powers from a spider bite. Ever since I’ve been bit I can do impossible things. I can climb walls without traction. I have insane strength. I know things are going to happen before they do. I even have dreams of the past. Plus, webs in my wrists. Pretty random, even if it is all from a spider.” Gregory stared at me with a penetrating gaze.

“You a spider themed superhero?” he questioned carefully.

“Yes. I even picked out a name. Garden Spider! Has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?” I beamed. A gloom spread over Gregory’s face and his gaze dropped.

“Garden Spider,” he muttered thoughtfully, “I know that name. They were the hero that caught… You’re the one who caught Mr. Shultz. You caught the Shocker.” A similar gloom sunk into me. It infected my brain and made my bones ice. Why did he have to bring him up?

“Y-yes. I was the one who caught Mr. Shultz.” I declared. I prepared for the onslaught. Gregory would hate me now. He was one of the closest with Mr. Shultz. How could he not hate me? I hated me, I knew he would too.

“Good riddance,” he stated. My head snapped up.

“Don’t say that,” I said intensely.

“Why? He deserved what he got.” Gregory said with a tone of anger.

“You really think that?” I asked, unable to process everything happening.

“Yes. He put Heather in the hospital. He nearly killed her. He deserves to rot in Hell for his crimes. We just have to settle for prison.” he growled.

“Hating him won’t help anyone!” I yelled, “You and him were so close. He was like another father to you. To all of us. It hurts like hell, but we can’t let the pain consume us. Otherwise we are no better than him.”

“He abandoned us, Elliot! How can I not hate him?” he snarled.

“No, he was trying to protect us. That’s why he started to work for Dr. Connors…” I dropped the rest of thought.

“That’s it!” I cried out, “Dr. Connors isn’t the mastermind. He’s just another pawn. The one at the top of the throne is… oh no.”

“What is going on right now?” Gregory asked, still angry about the previous topic.

“Don’t interrupt my thinking,” I told him. He gave an annoyed huff, but didn’t say anything.

“Shocker was a grunt man. He was controlled by Connors, who in turn seems to be controlled by Osborn. Shocker was used to destroy and collect. But destroy and collect what? My notes!” I scrambled towards my desk. With a frenzy I sorted through the notes I made on all the buildings attacked by Shocker, “Here it is! All the buildings have the same parent company. I could never get a proper name on it, though. Energy Corporation, that is the pseudonym. When I swung in on Shocker he wanted something from the person there.

“What was it? He was looking for… records! What records? Was it something being tested there? Maybe an experiment. What if… What if this is all tied to the Agents and mysterious ‘he’. Shocker was expecting an Agent to try and stop him. Dr. Osborn said that ‘he’ could ‘upgrade’ Agents. Who is ‘he’? Is ‘he’ tied to the Energy Corporation? What is going on with Oscorp and the Energy Corporation? What am I missing!?”

“Stop right now, Elliot.” Gregory demanded. I turned to look at him, only then did I realize I was pacing on the ceiling.

“Oh. Sorry about that,” I mumbled before flipping to the floor. Gregory gave me a strained look.

“What the hell are you talking about?” he asked.

“It’s kind of a long story.” I muttered sheepishly.

“I don’t care. Spill it,” he replied.

“Okay so- wait,” I stopped. My spider sense started going off. Someone was coming. I looked at my bright costume. Then to Gregory impatiently waiting for an explanation.

“Get in bed, right now.” I whispered, as I turned off the lights with a well placed web.

“What is going on, Elliot?” Gregory worriedly asked.

“I woke Dad up,” I responded in a low voice. In bed I pulled my blanket up to my chin to hide my colorful clothes, “Now shut up, and try to look asleep.”

“No, wha-” A resounding footstep could be heard just outside the door. Someone was definitely coming. Gregory scrambled into bed. Just as he got settled the door creaked open. The dim light from the hallway spilled in. I kept my eyes closed tightly. A sweat broke out along my skin because of the excessive heat from the blanket. I didn’t dare to move. A heavy sigh came from the doorway.

“Good night, my bug and bat. I love you.” Dad said softly. Another moment later, he closed the door, and I listened to his footsteps drag back to his room. Once I heard the click of his door closing, I slid out from under the blanket. Gregory did the same shortly after. We waited another minute before talking again.

“How did you know he was coming?” Gregory asked quietly.

“I call it my spider sense. It warns me of incoming danger or just things moving towards me. It is a little difficult to explain, but it does come in handy.” I explained in a whisper.

“That’s pretty cool,” he mumbled.

“Yeah, until it becomes painful.” I muttered darkly.

“It can hurt you?” he yelped. I smacked his arm and put my finger over my mouth. He gave a half hearted apology, but he demanded an answer.

“Yes, sometimes it can get really intense and hurt me, but it doesn’t leave any physical damage.” I whispered.

“I’m sorry about that. It sounds horrible.” he said with guilt in his voice. A sticky and uncomfortable feeling climbed over my skin.

“It’s not that big of a deal. It’s just how it is. Nothing you or I can do about it.” I shrugged.

“Yeah, but I still feel bad that it happens to you,” he added.

“Right,” I uttered, unsure on how to respond. We sat in silence for a few minutes.

“I had forgotten that Dad calls you bat. Why does he do that again?” I wondered, sleepily.

“You really don’t remember?” Gregory asked.

“Nope, it was an old story though, right?” I muttered.

“Yeah, it was when I was an infant. My favorite blanket was black, so it was hard to tell which way I was turned unless my head was poking out. So one day, Dad walks into another room to get something, and he leaves me in the crib. When he comes back, he picks me up. We walk around for a little while, until he notices something is wrong. He was holding me upside down. So my feet were pointed up and my head pointed down. All the while, I’m snoozing like nothing is wrong. He always found that story hilarious, so he started calling me bat.”

“That is a good story.” I mumbled. Sleep ate at my consciousness.

“You don’t even look like a bat, though.” I laughed weakly.

“No,” he chuckled softly, “I don’t look like a bat.” My thoughts drained away. All of my senses dropped. Everything became still and quiet. I fell asleep.

A soft light flashed across my closed eyes. It tugged me out of the peace of sleep and into the morning. I groaned at the passage of time. Why couldn’t I ever sleep long enough to get rid of my exhaustion? I sat up knowing I had school. A blanket fell off of me. I was in bed, despite having fallen asleep on the floor. A smile pulled at my lips. With all the will I had, I got out of bed. Nice. Then every muscle spasmed at once.

I yelped and fell to the floor. My muscles got themselves under control, but I stayed on the floor for a second. I knew this day was going to suck. Before I could get back to my feet, I was, metaphorically, swept off them.

“Are you okay? Did something happen? What’s wrong?” Gregory asked rapid fire.

“Fine. What’s up?” I replied while shakily getting to my feet. Gregory tried to help me, but I pushed him away to do it myself.

“Are sure you’re okay? Does this normally happen?” he worriedly wondered.

“Yeah. After I get the shit beat out of me, it usually hurts the next morning.” I grumbled.

“What?” he shouted.

“Not so loud,” I hissed, “I took down a few dudes yesterday and got a little roughed up in the process. No big deal.”

“No big deal? What are you talking about, Elliot? You just fell after getting out of bed! You need to stay home today.” he demanded.

“I’m fine. I have super healing. Just give me a few more hours and I’ll be right as rain.” I said, brushing past him. I walked into the bathroom to brush my teeth.

“You have super healing?” he questioned with interest.

“Yeah,” I mumbled around my toothbrush, “Pretty neat.”

“How do I know you’re not lying just to spite me?” he remarked in a half joking tone. I pulled back my sleeve to show him my wrist. The skin was smooth and unblemished, despite having been burned a few hours ago.

“What th-” he muttered, before I pulled my wrist away.

“I have super healing. Deal with it.” I told him. I locked him out of the room for a few minutes so I could change into my uniform. I stripped down to my undergarments to survey myself in the mirror. This time I didn’t focus on my features, more on the damage done to them. I still had horrible stitches in my side. They highlighted the deep gash near my ribs. My eyes dragged along my abdomen. Multiple bruises were still healing A few scratches could still be seen. I winced as the memories of last night rolled through my brain. The brutal blows against me. The intent to kill. All the screaming of the people left behind, or even worse the deafening silence.

“Elliot? Are you almost done there? Dad needs to leave soon.” Gregory called from the hallway.

“What? Um- yeah. Totally,” I stammered. I gave one more glance at my half-mangled body, “It’s time for school,”

The rest of the week was boring. My classes made it difficult to find the time to sneak out. Gregory would also monitor me constantly, making it even harder. When I did find the time I would swing for hours. It was like flying. There was no better feeling in the world. I took down a few criminals a night, but not many. Nothing like when I was fighting with Daredevil. Nothing helping with my investigation into Oscorp. Nothing, until Monday after school.

“Hey, Elliot! You’re still riding with me to Oscorp right?” Harry called. I looked around to find him. He approached me with an expectant look on his face.

“What?” I wondered.

“You don’t remember? Today is the first day of the Oscorp internship program. You got the letter in the mail, and I offered to take you to Oscorp every Monday and Thursday.” he explained.

“Oh, yeah,” I muttered, as the memories fluttered into my brain. I followed him to his ever-fancy car. As we settled in, Harry started up a conversation.

“So you remember what we were talking about last time right?” he asked.

“Vaguely. You had a lot of questions about my favorites, then you rapid fire gave me yours. However, we couldn’t discuss them because the drive was too short.” I explained.

“Yeah, and I said that it was a topic for another time. I suppose this is the other time,” he smiled.

“Okay. I remember you liked… um. Oh! Toy Story, the color navy blue, and, of course, Minecraft.” I recalled.

“I actually have a funny story about my love for Toy Story.” he sheepishly mentioned.

“Oh? Do tell.” I replied.

“Okay. So you know how the toys came alive when Andy left the room?” he questioned.

“Yes. That was the whole premise of the movies.” I commented.

“Well, I tried to catch my toys in the act of being alive.” he mumbled.

“Didn’t every kid do that? I know all my friends and I did.” I remarked.

“No. I took it to the extreme,” he added, “I had my dad install a whole security system in my toy room to monitor them. I made sure everyone was cleared off the floor. I even left toys in front of hidden cameras in other rooms, just in case they knew I could see them in the toy room. I was convinced they could move, and I was going to prove it. Needless to say, I never got proof.”

“You really did take it to the extreme,” I chuckled.

“I loved that movie, and all the movies that came after. The Toy Stories are by far the best run of movies ever.” he said confidently.

“Peter will argue for hours about that,” I stated.

“Oh? What movies does he love?” Harry questioned.

“He is obsessed with Star Wars. He’s been trying to get me to watch the movies ever since we met, but I’ve refused every time.” I explained.

“Why? Seems like he really likes them. Why wouldn’t you try and share his happiness?” he wondered.

“It’s a little difficult when Peter quotes every line while watching,” I remarked.

“Does he really do that?” he asked in disbelief.

“Every. Single. Line.” I emphasized.

“Sounds like we need to tape his mouth shut to watch the movies,” he joked.

“That is an excellent idea. We’ll have to do that next time he starts going off about my lack of Star Wars knowledge.” I agreed. The car rolled to a stop, and soon after someone came around to open the doors for us.

“Time to get to work,” Harry mumbled with mild disappointment.

“I can’t wait,” I grinned. He looked at my wide smile, and gave a smaller one in return.

“Well, then. This way.” he gestured. We walked into the lobby which was filled with nervous and excited students pacing around. My anxiety started to get louder as we approached the group. What if they didn’t like me? What if they already hated me? What if I did something embarrassing? What if-
Harry grabbed my trembling hand. I looked down at our linked hands, then to him. He didn’t look at me. My face started to heat up, and my palms started to sweat. Why was I so flustered over a mild gesture of comfort? Probably because I don’t receive much physical affection from people my age.

Yes, that was it.

As we got to the edges of the group, he gave a reassuring squeeze to my hand and dropped it. He made his way to the center of the group, giving greetings to everyone. I stayed at the back of the group. I was wiping the sweat off my hands and trying to diminish the blush in my cheeks. Harry would do that for anyone. He’s just nice like that. I’m not special. I’m just lucky he is my friend. Before I could overreact further, Harry started his introduction.

“Welcome back everyone!” he greeted, “I’m happy to see so many of you guys back here. Your work for this company will be invaluable. Now, if you all will walk this way you can get your permanent Oscorp ID. This will give you access to the level you will be working on. Each of you will be assisting the doctors here with their projects. Some people were even requested by name. Now come get your IDs, and help us build a better tomorrow!”

Everyone clamored to get their IDs, but I waited for the crowd to clear out before I got mine. It was a shimmery silver color with the blue Oscorp logo in the corner. It was printed with my deadname and intern number. I glared at my old name. Why did it have to remind me of the name?

While I was debating requesting for a new badge, Harry explained how we could just swipe our IDs in the elevators to get us to where we need to go. People started to advance towards the elevators. As the crowds thinned I noticed Skylar. She looked exhausted.

“Hey,” I said nervously to her. She huffed at me, and walked into an elevator without giving me a word in reply.

“Wow. Real mature.” I darkly mumbled to myself. Not long afterward, I entered the elevator with Harry.

“Are we working on the same floor?” I asked.

“Yeah,” he nodded, “we’ll both be working with-” The doors opened with a pleasant ding to reveal the man from my nightmares. He had cleaned up since I last saw him in person. His blond hair was combed, and he had a clean shaven face. His lab coat was no longer stained and wrinkled. Dr. Connors stood tall with an air of importance and authority surrounding him. It made my blood heat up. Why did he get to live so freely, when Heather was still unable to come home?

“Good afternoon, Miss Elrod and Mr. Osborn. You both will be assisting me with a personal project that you might be familiar with. This way.” he announced, before walking briskly down the hallway. I gave Harry a hesitant look, but he just shrugged and followed the doctor. My skin crawled with nervous energy, but my spider sense was silent. I quickly joined Harry.

Dr. Connors led us to a lab I was all too familiar with. The off white walls were covered with vials and beakers. The placement of the computer monitors was the same, though they were not blinking red anymore. There were no papers littered across the floor, nor dead mouse bodies on the counter. The lights were on highlighting the cleanliness of the room, yet I could clearly remember the mess it used to be.

“We are working in Lab Two on floor five.” he droned, “Remember how to get here, and don’t be late. We have a lot of work to do. I don’t have to waste much time briefing you two on the project because I know you both have snooped here before. I have been trying to combine the genetics of reptiles, specifically the green anole lizards or Anolis carolinensis, with mice, specifically Mus musculus, to help them regrow missing limbs. As seen in the cages behind me, the outcomes are less than ideal. I’ve used previous research from other labs to pinpoint 326 genes that are linked to the regeneration process in the lizards. You two will be sorting through the genes to see what combination gives these lizards that ability. I’ll be checking your progress on the assignment in a few hours. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

“Did he just dump all the grunt work on us?” I asked with an annoyed growl.

“That is the job of an intern,” Harry mused.

“Oh. Right. Silly me.” I mumbled. A few weeks ago I would have been ecstatic to work for Dr. Connors, but today I had a different job to do.

“Let’s get to it then,” he said. We worked relentlessly for hours. I was reading through so much genetic code, when I closed my eyes A’s, T’s, G’s, and C’s were imprinted on my eyelids. Soon my vision was blurring so badly I couldn’t see the letters on the screen. I sat back in my chair with a weary sigh.

“You okay, Elliot?” Harry questioned, looking up from his screen. He had blue light glasses on. Those might have been helpful. I gave another noise expressing my exhaustion.

“I’m so tired of reading code. It is really putting a strain on my eyes.” I remarked.

“I forgot you have bad eyesight. I know Peter mentioned it to me once or twice, but I’ve never seen you with glasses.” he noted. My pulse picked up. He remembered I used to need glasses?

“Uh, yeah. I just… wear contacts a lot. I’ve found that I prefer contacts over glasses.” I stammered. He gave a knowing nod.

“Same here. Though sometimes I wear glasses just to look smarter.” he replied with humor.

“If you were any smarter, you’d own the company before you were out of college,” I joked.

“I mean, I am going to inherit the company someday, but not anytime soon. Certainly not before I finish college.”

“Oh my goodness. I forgot that.”

“Forgot what? That I’m an Osborn? That I am the sole heir to Oscorp? That my Dad is Norman Osborn, one of the smartest and influential on the planet? Or did you forget to text your dad you made it to Oscorp safely?”

“Um,” I pulled out my phone and shot a quick text to my dad, “All of it. I also forgot you wear glasses. I always picture you without them, but they do give you a very nerdy, academia look.”

“I always thought they made me look like some kind of blond Clark Kent.” he admitted sheepishly.

“Wait look at me for a second,” I said, angling myself to better look at him. He spun his chair to face me. He was in khaki pants with the same color jacket. His dress shirt was a perfect white that helped bring attention to his perfectly tied sky blue tie. There was a subtle wave in his neat, strawberry blond hair. I could even see a light spread of freckles across his rosy cheeks. His bright eyes seemed to trace my face trying to see what I saw. Was I staring too long? I was. Shit.

“Um, yeah. I can see why you might think that.” I chuckled awkwardly, while looking away. He gave a similarly strained laugh. Great. I made it weird. Why was I like this?

“So… do you want to take a break from processing data and get a drink?” he offered.

“Yes, please. Anything to prevent the G’s and C’s from morphing into each other.” I gratefully accepted. We walked down the empty hallway together.

“The G’s and C’s also give me some trouble,” he agreed, “I’ve been thinking of programming an add-on software to color code each letter. That way people don’t actually have to read the letter to know what it represents. I figured it would take some of the strain off of everyone’s eyes and make it easier for dyslexic employees to work.”

“That is a good idea. Although I would also suggest making sure each letter is a different color blind friendly. I would suggest avoiding certain shades of red and green because that is the most common type of color blindness.” I suggested.

“I didn’t even think of that,” he responded, “That’s a really good idea. I would hate to make life easier for some, but harder for others.” We continued to chat about nothing important until we reached a checkpoint. I went for my ID, but Harry stopped me.

“You actually aren’t allowed on this floor, so your ID won’t work. We’ll use mine.” he mentioned. He waved his silver card in front of the scanner. It lit up green. With ease I pulled the door open, and we continued on our quest for drinks.

“So why won’t my ID work on that checkpoint?” I curiously asked. If I was going to get the information I wanted, I would need to be able to access the proper computers.

“Every intern’s ID is calibrated to only let you on to the floor your project is on. So you can only access Lab 2 on floor five. I might have also given you permission to visit Lab 8 on the third floor.” he said with a hint of mischief.

“What’s on floor three? Wait, is that where your lab is?” I wondered.

“Most likely,” he smirked, “And it probably has lots of snacks in case someone’s blood sugar suddenly crashes because they forget to eat.”

“Aw. Thanks, Harry.” I happily said with a twist of guilt. I felt horrible using him like this. He was going through all this trouble just to make sure I felt safe and secure here, and I was going to steal information that would most likely lead back to his father. The more I thought about it the more I wanted to confess to Harry that I was Garden Spider. Maybe then he would forgive me.

“Here it is. The untouched snack room of floor seven!” he announced with a dramatic gesture. It was a painfully normal looking breakroom. Bland, beige walls and cleared white countertops. A dusty and unplugged coffee maker was the only thing on it. The fridge seemed older than me, but I could hear the steady whirling of its fan. The tan couches were accompanied by a small white coffee table. The room seemed as alive as the empty plant pot in the corner of the windowless room. It was perfect!

“Wow. Why is this room so untouched?” I wondered out loud, as I grabbed a Coke can from the fridge.

“This floor is nicknamed the ‘Ghost’ floor,” he supplied, while taking a Coke from my hands, “Almost, if not, everyone on this floor is a dedicated programmer. They will code for hours in their offices without leaving. I have no idea how they do it. It’s like everyone just lives in their offices, so no one needs a snack room because that is their room. I’ve now unofficially claimed this room.”

“Neat,” I replied. I sat down on the barely used couch. A few ideas swirled together in my head. Slowly, a plan began to form in front of me. I knew how I was going to get what I needed.

I was going to see what Osborn wanted so desperately from the Energy Corporation. I was going to discover who Dr. Osborn was so afraid of. I was finally going to learn who created the Agents everyone seemed to fear so much. I was going to get all the answers.
All I needed was a little ingenuity and a whole lot of luck.

Chapter Text

I was going to see what Osborn wanted so desperately from the Energy Corporation. I was going to discover who Dr. Osborn was so afraid of. I was finally going to learn who created the Agents everyone seemed to fear so much. I was going to get all the answers. 

All I needed was a little ingenuity and a whole lot of luck. 

 Unfortunately, I did not get to use my plan until Thursday. However, Thursday morning, Gregory saw me packing my suit.

“What is that for? You are just going to school.” he wondered. 

“I… I have superhero work that needs done. Nothing to worry about.”  I dismissed. 

“I can’t help but worry for you Elliot.” he muttered. I gave an annoyed huff and marched downstairs. 

The school day held no significance. Lunch had the same small talk we usually shared. We chatted about interesting topics, but it didn’t help get rid of my discomfort. As the day continued, an anxiety built in the back of my head. I knew it wasn’t my spider sense, but my brain spun a different tale. 

I was convinced someone was lurking just beyond the corner, ready to attack. Their whole body filled with life-ending malice, all of it directed at me. It took every particle of will I had to merely walk down the hall. When I felt my spider sense actually go off, I let out a blood curdling scream. Not a second later, someone fell face first on their way up the stairs, but all eyes were on me. I ran as fast as I could to my class. Tears in my eyes and sweat drenching my brow. All I could hear was their echoing laughs and jeers. It was all too loud. It was all too much.

Now you may be thinking I was having a panic attack. That’s where you’re wrong. I was having a full blown meltdown. I couldn’t function properly. One teacher asked if I was on drugs because I was shaking so bad. The day was a panicked blur. Nothing was real. This was all a dream lulling me into a fake sense of comfort so someone could kill me. 

“Elliot? A-are you okay?” a soft and concerned voice asked from behind me. I knew they were there, but I still flinched. I turned on my heel to see Harry wondering what was wrong.

“N-no,” I stuttered. The tears were back. My body was still shaking like a tree in a hurricane. Harry gently grabbed my elbow and led me to a secluded part of the school.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he questioned. I closed my eyes tightly.

“N-n-no,” I mumbled. No one could know how broken I was. 

“Okay. Can you tell me how I can help you?” he softly asked. I let out a shuddering breath. 

“B-breathing-ing ex-ercise,” I choked with tears slipping through my closed eyelids. 

“That’s a good start,” he agreed, “Let’s take a deep breath in. Try to hold it. Now, release it. Slowly. Good. Let’s do it again.” He coached me through breathing for a long time. All I could focus on was my breath. It eased from hitched sobs into even sighs. When I finally opened my eyes, I saw how tightly I was hugging Harry. I dropped my arms quickly, yet he still held me. 

“Are you better now?” he asked, giving me another reassuring squeeze.

“Yes,” I admitted, dropping my gaze to the dirty floor tiles. 

“Good. You did great by the way. I’m glad I could actually help this time.” he lightly joked.

“Oh my god. This is the second time I’ve broken down crying in front of you. This is slightly embarrassing.” I said with a faint blush spreading across my cheeks. 

“It’s okay. Everyone has their breakdowns. You’ve had a stressful month. I think you deserve a few extra ones.” he explained. He dropped his hug to look me in the eyes.

“I had forgotten it had been a month,” I admitted out loud. Had it really been that long since Heather was hospitalized? Had it really been that long since I got my powers? Had it really been that long since my life started falling apart? 

“This may be a little invasive, but can you tell me what made you so freaked out?” he questioned trying to reach my gaze.

“Um. I-I thought th-that. Sorry, one second.” I stammered while trying to collect myself before I spiraled again.

“You don’t have to tell me,”  Harry said quickly, “I was just curious. I don’t want to overstep or anything.” I gave a grateful sigh.

“Okay. Thanks. I’m not sure I could tell you, honestly. Maybe someday, but not today.” I remarked. That was a lie. No one could ever know how fractured my mind was.

“That’s completely fine,” he replied. We stood in the empty hallway for a few more minutes. No one came down the hall or exited one of the classrooms. The lights stayed on with the occasional flicker. I kept the majority of my thoughts focused on my breathing. 

“I think I’m good to go now,” I announced. Harry looked up from his feet to look over me. 

“Are you sure?” he asked, skeptical, “You don’t have to go to Oscorp today. We can call it a sick day, and go get ice cream or something. I owe you two pints of mint chocolate chip.” A small smile tugged at my lips, and some of the ache melted from my heart. I allowed myself to imagine for a second getting ice-cream with Harry. Then, collapsing on my bed at home. What a lovely thought.

“As great as that sounds, I want to get some work done. Trust me, work is my way of dealing with things. I’m fine.” I lied. I needed to find the answers, no matter how exhausted I was. I needed to know what was wrong in Oscorp. He gave me one last critical look before giving in.

“Okay. Let’s go then. My driver should be waiting for us in front of the school.” he said hesitantly. We walked out of the school, unnoticed by the few faculty and students left. Throughout most of the car ride, we were silent. Not the awkward, uncomfortable silence I was used to. This was the kind of peaceful quiet you hear just before you drift off to sleep. It was a welcomed relief compared to my thoughts.

The driver pulled up to the building and opened our doors for us. I admired the exterior as I always did, but this time someone broke my trance.

“Did you just arrive with Harry Osborn?” a high pitched voice squealed right next to me. I turned to see an over enthusiastic girl clutching a notepad and pen. This could end poorly. I stuttered trying to find the right words to say. Thankfully, Harry came around the car to talk to the girl.

“Hello. I’m Harry Osborn. Pleased to meet you,” he professionally greeted. The girl, somehow, let out an even higher pitched shriek. She pounced on Harry, pulling him into a tight and intimate hug. Surprisingly, Harry didn’t flinch away or even make a comment. He hugged her back. She pulled back, and he quickly dropped his arms. 

“I can’t believe I just got hugged by Harry Osborn!” she exclaimed. She smiled brightly at him, and he smiled back. Her attention became fixed back to me. Her eyes immediately became distrustful and judgmental. 

“Is she your girlfriend?” she angrily asked. Harry looked at me and raised an eyebrow. He looked back at the over eager fan.

“No, Elliot is not my girlfriend. She’s just here for the Oscorp internship.” he explained with a light chuckle. My stomach pulled itself into knots. Why do people have to see me as a female? I suppressed the urge to say I wasn’t a girl at all. 

“Good. Can I get an autograph and a picture with you? Not with her though.” the fan asked. Another knot was added to my stomach, but I tried not to show it. A small part of my mind noted how comfortable I was with lying. 

“You guys do that, and I’ll head inside. See you in the lab, Harry.” I said, before jogging into the building. I looked back at the pair. Harry didn’t seem too uncomfortable or upset with the girl. He looked excited to take pictures and chat with her. It surprised me how at ease he was. 

I turned on my heel to walk to the elevator, but I spotted someone walking the other direction. I looked at them for another second, before running towards them. 

“Skylar!” I called. She turned to glare at me. I stopped in front of her. When she didn’t immediately walk away, I took that as a sign to start talking.  

“I don’t know what I did, but I’m sorry, Skylar,” I apologized, “I’m so sorry. I miss hanging out with you. I miss talking to you. I miss being your friend. So much has happened over the past month, and I need to tell someone about it. I’ve wanted nothing more than to sit down with you and Peter. Can we please keep being friends?” Skylar glared at me a little longer, before looking away. Her anger seemed to melt for a second. Maybe this could be an okay day.  

“How can you miss being my friend? You never once asked me how I felt. I lost my dad, Elliot. He is in jail now. I have one less parent because of a superhero. Even worse, everyone is starting to love this new superhero! You’ve had a difficult month? So have I. I’m not whining about it though.” she growled. Her words were like a lighter for a bonfire. My overworked brain turned my exhaustion into fuel for the fire.

“I also lost a father figure, in case you forgot. He was the one who gave me the confidence to start jiu-jitsu. He was the one who invited us to the lake house for the first time. He was the one who never let us win at Monopoly on game night. My sister is still in the hospital because of him. So, yes, Skylar. I’ve had a difficult month. I thought I would have a friend to confide in, but no. You were too busy throwing your pity party and blaming it on me.”

“I’m not the one throwing the pity party, Elliot. How many breakdowns have you had this month? How many people have you lashed out at this month? You’ve been so wrapped up in yourself and your emotions, that I got sick of it. I would rather be by myself than be around you and your misery. You don’t notice anything about anyone around you. Have you asked Peter how he’s been doing? Of course not. Because you are a selfish person, Elliot.” 

“I am not selfish. Do you know how much I’ve done for other people? No. You don’t because you haven’t been around to notice. You have be-” Before I could find any more words to say, Harry gently tugged at my arm. He led me to the elevator. I didn’t struggle as he dragged me away. 

“You let everyone do everything for you. Just wait, he'll leave you too.” Skylar called from across the lounge. As the doors closed, she turned her back to me. I listened to the dings of the elevator ascending floors. I listened to the whirl of the gears that took the box upward. I listened to Harry shift uncomfortably next to me. My eyes found a small camera in the corner of the box. It had a small, blinking light. That was going to make everything harder. 

The doors opened revealing a brightly lit hallway. I stepped out of the elevator, and as I tried to walk down the hall Harry grabbed my arm.

“Are you okay?” he asked softly. 

“Perfectly fine.” I explained, “I’ve finally realized what’s important. Now, come on. There is work to be done.” I walked down the hallway into Lab Two. Inside the lab was Dr. Connors. He turned around to face me with an annoyed frown. 

“You are seven minutes late.” he said with little emotion. 

“I’m sorry, Dr. Connors. It won’t happen again.” I promised in a similar monotone voice. Harry entered a moment later. He looked to me then to Dr. Connors. 

“Dr. Connors,” he exclaimed, “I’m so sorry for our late arrival. The blame is solely mine. Please forgive me.” The doctor surveyed Harry with narrowed eyes. I was half tempted to distract him just to spare Harry from the wrath of his glare, but my brief flare of protectiveness was quickly put out by the smothering force of my numbness. 

“Follow me outside, Mr. Osborn.” Dr. Connors demanded. Harry followed him out with only a worried glance in my direction, “Miss Elrod, keep working on what I told you to do last time.” I gave a mute nod. At the table there was a tablet already preloaded with the data. I didn’t start to work, however. I strained my ears to listen to the conversation. 

“Harry, you cannot arrive here late.” the doctor scolded, “You have a job to do. I know you are the heir to the company, but you asked for this position. You have to take it seriously. Many others would be better in this internship. I can still transfer you into your preferred field if you’d like.”

“I’m sorry, Dr. Connors. I am happy with this internship. Thank you for the offer, though. I promise to arrive on time in the future.” Harry said professionally. I couldn’t hear the next part of the conversation, but the door opened again. I quickly turned to the tablet. Harry sat down beside me with a weary sigh. He grabbed the second tablet and began to work. Before I could say anything, Dr. Connors came in. 

We worked silently for a few hours. Dr. Connors worked in front of us, but paid us no attention. He looked over excess data and silently shifted through it. Once he brought forward another mouse to test on, but he looked over the simulation again and decided against it. Eventually he left. I could finally get to work. 

“Hey, Harry. You know that program you were talking about yesterday?” I asked. He looked up. Slowly, he removed his glasses to fidget with them as he answered. 

“Yeah. The one that would change the color of the DNA sequence? I remember.” he nodded. A forced mischievous smile grew along my face.

“You want to work on it?” I asked playfully. 

“You know we can’t, Elliot. We have data to process. If we don’t, Dr. Connors will fire you. And probably me. Maybe. It’s just a bad idea.” he explained, waving his hand in the air. 

“Come on, Harry! Live a little. Let’s be rebels and work on a different, nerdy project. What else in teenagehood for? Please?” I begged with an exaggerated frown. After a moment of deliberation, Harry sighed loudly.

“Fine, but we better not get caught,” he responded, “Otherwise I won’t be able to cover for you. Or me. For us.” 

“That’s okay. We won’t get caught.” I assured. I focused my spider sense on the hallway, and nothing was amiss. Harry pulled up an app for our project. A few minutes later we were bantering while working. A little warmth worked itself into my heart. My smiles, slowly, became more and more genuine. We worked for a little under an hour before it was complete. 

“That was a lot easier to do with your help,” Harry announced as we sat back.

“Of course. I’m a genius when it comes to technology.” I said cheekily. 

“Says the one who couldn’t type in her password at lunch, and ended up locking herself out of her phone.” he teased. My brain highlighted the incorrect pronouns, but I ignored the uncomfortable tremors it sent across my mind.

“Hey,” I countered, “I hadn’t slept in 72 hours, and only had three cups of coffee. Anyone would have been a little delirious. But, I thought you said you wouldn’t bring it up again.” 

“What? You hadn’t slept for that long? I just thought… Why did you do that, Elliot?” he asked. 

“I would rather not get into it during this celebration. We still need to upload the program. So I present the honor to you, Harrison, probably, Jameson Osborn.” I grandly presented with a mock bow.

“My middle name is actually Theopolis, not Jameson, but either way, I accept this honor. Thank you, Elizabeth, probably, Grace Elrod.” he chuckled. 

“Please don’t remind me of my birth name,” I groaned. 

“Do you not like it?” Harry wondered. 

“Positively hate it. It took forever for everyone to stop calling me Liz. It was horrible.” I explained.

“What was wrong with the name Liz?” he questioned. 

“It just wasn’t me,” I quickly said. I couldn’t tell Harry it was because it sounded too femminie. He would start asking why that mattered, and I wasn’t ready to come out yet. I didn’t need anymore anxiety at the moment. Plus, I still needed to upload the virus into the system. 

“So,” I remarked, “the honor of the upload,” I pushed the tablet back toward Harry. He beamed at me, and pressed the enter key. We sat in pleased silence for a moment. 

“We need celebratory drinks. I’ll run up to the ‘Ghost’ floor break room and grab some, okay?” I offered.

“Sounds perfect,” he agreed. I hurried out of the room and down the hall. Not a moment later, Harry was running out of the lab too. He went down the opposite hallway. I looked at the camera in the corner. The lights inside of them had died out. Perfect. 

Start the song

I broke out into a sprint down the hall. I only had ten minutes before the system rebooted itself. I needed to be quick. As I got to the checkpoint I slowed my pace. The heavy glass door was immovable without the computer’s assistance. However, without the computer the door was also unlocked. I pushed the dense door open with ease, and continued my sprint. I fully expected to be running through empty hallways, but slowly people started exiting their offices. 

I dropped my sprint to a quick paced walk. Why was the proverbial ghost town now being populated again? What was going on? Had I been found out? 

“What’s going on? Are the servers down?” a person asked from beside me. That’s what it was. Taking down the servers was like attacking a beehive, and now the bees were out. Hopefully, I would blend in with them, otherwise I was as good as dead. 

I continued purposefully along. The halls were now packed with panicked employees. Everyone was talking over one another making it easy for me to blend in. I made it all the way to the second server door. It looked no different from any of the other doors, but the map I memorized said this was where I needed to be. Almost there.

I went to open the door, but someone beat me to it. Oh no.

I spun around to see a lively, older man cheerfully opening the door for me. 

“Here you go, kiddo, but I’m not sure why you want to go in here. Nothing but a bunch of glowing computer towers. Not all that interesting for you young folk.” he stated. We entered the room. It was dark without the glow of the computers. The man clicked on a flashlight. 

“Oh boy. Whatever is happening sure isn’t good.” he huffed. If only he knew. 

“No, it isn’t. Why don’t I look at it? I’m the new intern. Fixing this would be great for my application for a proper job here. Could I please take a crack at it?” I asked, forcing all the limited energy I had into my voice. The man turned his flashlight towards me, so I couldn't see his face. I hear a long and drawn out sigh.

“Alright. I suppose you will probably have more luck than me.” he replied. I smiled a strained grin at him, and made my way to the center of the room. 

“Do you have a laptop, or anything I could plug into the system?” I asked politely. He handed me an old, worn out computer.

“I’ve had that for over six years. Some say it’s older than me!” he chuckled. I forced a laugh, but couldn’t focus on it. I only had four more minutes. The computer booted up slowly. I tapped my foot against the tile floor, making clicks echo across the room. Finally, I was able to access the full Oscorp system. My fingers flew across the keyboard typing in keywords. I secretly plugged in a flash drive, and began downloading as much of it as I could. 

As the process bar filled up, my anxiety was skyrocketing. What if I didn’t get the right information? What if nothing is proven? What if I’m caught? Will they be able to figure out I’m Garden Spider? What if they trace it back to me, and kill me in my sleep? What if-

Ding! 

The download was complete. I had the information!

“Is anything working for you, kiddo?” the man asked from the door.

“Yeah. I mean- no. Nothing is working. Sorry to take up your time. Have a good day.” I said. Before he could shine the light in my direction, I grabbed the flash drive and ran. I dashed wildly down the halls, searching for the safety of the breakroom. My spider sense erupted along my shoulder. Soon after a large hand landed on it. 

“Hey. Do you have your ID?” a hefty man asked from behind me. I turned to face him, trying to look unconcerned. 

“Of course I do. It’s right here.” I said while flashing them my ID with my fingers covering my name. 

“What office are you working out of?” he interrogated. Was I caught? Oh no. I fumbled for my words. 

“Well-um. You see, I work out of -ah- office…” I stammered. 

“Hey, you’re Rosy, right?” a sweet voice asked from behind me. I whirled around again to see a pleasant looking older woman. She had graying hair tied up in a neat bun, and her clothes were clean pressed. Overall, she looked too professional to be working as an average programmer. My eyes dragged along her collar. 

Rebecca S. Hanover | Project Manger  her tag read. A stone sunk into my stomach, which was also populated with varied species of butterflies. I absently wondered why the metaphorical stone didn’t crush the metaphorical butterflies.  

“The newest intern?” she continued. The butterflies made their way up into my chest cavity. I’m surprised no one saw any escape through my lips. 

“Y-yes! That’s me. R-rosy… the newest intern.” I agreed. Her face broke into a pleased grin. 

“I’m so glad to finally meet you in person. I’m sorry it has to be under such stressful circumstances. Normally the servers never crash. I sure hope you saved your work.” she chuckled. I let a similar noise escape me. Was this really happening? What is really happening? Does she think-

“I’ll get you down to the lobby if you want. I know the stairs are tricky to find, especially for new employees. Now if you’ll follow me-”

“Um, Miss Hanover-” the guard interrupted. My pulse spiked again. I have no idea how my body contained the blood that was sprinting through my body. It might have been easier if it erupted out right then and there, and I had just bled out. That’s a joke. Kind of. I sure as hell wanted to die at that moment.

“I told you to call me Rebecca, Bruce.” Miss Hanover corrected with a cajoling tone, “That goes for you too, Rosy.” I flashed the two of them an awkward thumbs up. My brain cells were running on their last coffee molecule, okay? Don’t judge me. Miss Hanover and the bodyguard certainly did. 

“Now, let’s be on our way, Rosy. I’m sure they want all employees in the lobby while they sort this mess out.” she waved me down a hallway, “Everyone this way!” she called above the chaos of the crowd. 

Slowly, all the socially-awkward programmers were marching down the stairs. Each one of them looked more uncomfortable than the last. Some of them looked more regretful than me, and I had committed an actual crime. However, this made it easy to blend into the crowd. I was just another anxious worker shuffling down the stairs, unsure of what else to do. 

Eventually, after many complaints from people with underdeveloped muscles, we made it to the lobby on the first floor. The door was a hassle to open because similar to the one I encountered, it was mostly machine operated. Despite it being unlocked, it was extremely heavy, and took four people to push open. I didn’t help. I figured it wasn’t worth risking my secret. 

Everyone stumbled into the lobby, which was filling up with other disgruntled and anxious employees. It was a mess. A mess I could hide in perfectly. Just another face in the crowd. No secrets or powers. No one of note. 

“Employees,” a calm and clear voice chimed through the speaker, “the servers have been rebooted. We ask that you please return to your work now. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Have a nice day!” The crowd I had been lost in surged forward. I nearly lost my footing, but someone caught my arm. 

“You need to be more careful, Miss Elrod,” Dr. Connors scolded as he released my arm. My muscles constricted as I imagined my fist connecting with his mouth. What I wouldn’t have given to indulge in that fantasy. Yet the memory of him crying with his daughter quelled my fury. He wasn’t the one to blame. He wasn’t the one who deserved a broken jaw. 

“You’re right. Sorry, Dr. Connors.” I mumbled, turning to walk towards the elevators. 

“There is no need to apologize. Simply work smarter, not harder.” he said, guiding my eyes to the empty stairwell with a nod of his head. He calmly walked over, and with a swipe of his ID, he opened the door for me. 

“Thank you,” I said, unsure of what else I could say. 

“Don’t thank me yet. We still have five flights of stairs to climb.” he announced, not bothering to glance back as he marched upwards. What an ass, yet I smiled to myself. I followed him up.

Chapter Text

Don’t square your shoulders. Blade them to slip under blows better. I loosened my shoulders as I slid under another jab. There you go. Again. I moved off the centerline, narrowly avoiding a cross.
Good. Now move your feet. You aren’t a statue, Elliot. Shifting my feet, I managed to nullify the blow of a calf kick. Careful, don’t get your legs kicked out from you.
The opponent went for a body kick. I dropped my guard to block my midsection. The skin along my face lit on fire with the knowledge of the blow to come. DEATH IS COMING! DON’T GET HIT BECAUSE THEY ARE TRYING TO KILL YOU! YOU’LL DIE!
Every cell in my body flipped to attack mode. I felt my hairs stand up and heard my pulse skip. The muscles in my forearms spasmed, fearfully. Within a second before getting hit, I delivered a sharp punch to Peter’s face. It was all playing out just like before. All I could hear was the snapping of ribs and the unholy screams echoing off the alley walls.
“Argh!” Peter groaned, hitting the mat with a muffled thud. I dropped to my knees, breath uneven. I knew I was in the gym, but all I could feel was the cracking of the bones under my blows. All I could feel was my slipping morals. All I could feel was the horrible monster I was becoming. The sobs of the injured played with my ears. Chills from the concrete ate through the thick fabric of my suit. It was too tight! I couldn’t breathe.
“Damn, Elliot.” Peter exclaimed, already sitting up, “That was some jab! I didn’t realize how much power you had. You’ll have to- W-what’s wrong, Elliot?” I let out another shuddering wheeze. Pain flared up along my ribs. Just like before. I couldn’t breathe!
“Elliot! Just- just breathe. In and out. It’s okay.” Peter tried, but I couldn’t really hear him. I was reliving one of the many horrors that kept me up. The girl. She was Heather. She wasn’t. Because I saved her. I didn’t save-
“Kid. Kid. Focus on my voice. Wherever you are, you aren’t there. It’s okay. You're safe here. Just listen to me. I’m real. It’s not. ‘Kay?” Coach Tracy comforted, placing a hand on my shoulder. I flinched. Slowly, I tried focusing on the blue mat. The little indents and tears left by years of people running and slamming into it. “Just come back to the moment, kid. Just like that. That’s good.” Weakly, I lifted my head to look up at the coach. Her face was so understanding. I don’t fully remember what else she said to me. I just remember suppressing the urge to violently start sobbing.
“I-I’m f-fine. I’m f-fine.” My throat burned with the lie. The warmth of the mat reminded me I wasn't on the ground in an unnamed alley. The smell of sweat and mat cleaner reminded me I wasn’t sitting right next to a stack of rotting trash. There was no rattling fire escape. No screaming men. No sobbing girl. I was fine. But my hands still shook.
“Come on, kid.” Coach sighed, lifting me gently. I stood up, but my knees buckled beneath me. Peter rushed to catch me. Yet when he grabbed me, we both nearly went down.
“I-I’m fine.” I insisted, catching myself and Peter. “I-I just need some air. Y-yeah.” Before anything else could be said, I rushed outside.
Knowing Peter and Coach Tracy would be chasing me, I hopped over the same fence I did last time. This time I didn’t change into a flashy costume, or follow a mysterious sixth sense. This time I sobbed silently into my arms, cradling myself because I didn’t trust anyone else to do it for me. I was a freak afterall. They all loved the idea of me. If they knew who I truly was…
“ELLIOT!” someone screamed over my thoughts. Bottles clanked and other unknown trash pieces rustled as someone worked their way through the fence. With an already drenched sleeve I wiped my dirty face, before crawling slowly up the disgusting wall. Peter came scampering into my view, panting. I’m sure it was tight for him.
“Elliot?!” he called again. I remained silent. “You have to be here.”
“Is she there, Pete?” Coach Tracy asked from beyond the fence. The ‘she’ drove another dagger into my already damaged heart.
“No,” he huffed, shoulders slumped with defeat. “But I’ll keep looking, okay?” He squared his shoulders up.
“‘Kay. Just find her before her dad arrives.” she instructed. Peter hummed to himself as Coach walked away. The space was silent for a few moments. It might have been peaceful if it weren’t for my racing heart and general anxiety.
“Elliot?” Peter asked, softly. “I’m pretty sure you are here, but you clearly don’t want to be seen right now. I can understand that. That’s how I felt after… you know, Heather. What I mean is, talking to people helps. You’re not a robot, Elliot. You have emotions, and what happened was- is- traumatic. It’s okay to share some of that hurt you have inside. We are here for you, Elliot.”
My grip on the wall weakened. I could just drop down, and reveal what, and more accurately who, I am. I leaned forward, yearning to talk to him about everything. The nightmares. The screams. Both mine and other’s. The injuries. The close calls. Teaming up with Daredevil. Hacking into Oscorp. All of it. I wanted to spill my guts on the cracked concrete in front of Peter just to rid myself of their stench.
But a lightbulb went off in my mind. I pulled my thoughts back to reality. I had a job. This was merely a requirement of the ‘normal’ life I lived. I crawled up the wall slowly, so I didn’t signal where I was.
“We are your family, Elliot.” Peter whispered. I sent one last look to him. His head was lowered, and shoulders trembling. He looked so small in the darkness. All alone. My heart tightened in my ribcage, threatening to burst from its stony prison. My blood roared in my ears, drowning out his small sniffles.
Tears dripped from my chin, creating new streaks on my face. As fast as I could, I ran up the rest of the wall. I couldn’t. I couldn’t reveal the monster I was. I kicked a tower of trash over in my mad escape. It clattered to the ground, making Peter jump.
I sprinted across the roof and shot a web to grab my bag from the front of the building. Peter had placed it there for me. I let out a pitiful, choked sound. Quickly, before I drown in my own guilt, I change into my ‘other’ clothes, and drop a note on Peter’s bag.
I would be taking the ‘bus’ home today.

The swing home was chilly. Winter was in full effect. Everything was cold. Everything down to my bones. My teeth chattered. My skin was covered in goosebumps. Steam hissed out of my mask after each exhale, causing my goggles to fog. Plus the difficulties of webslinging. This all left little room to think.
Only Gregory’s car was in the driveway. Thank God. Before climbing through the window, I checked to see if he was inside. The lights were out, and the door was closed. Yet the window was locked. I cursed Gregory in all the ways a sibling can curse their brother. With careful precision, I broke the latch of the window. Once inside, I stripped out of my costume and put on much warmer clothes.
The bed welcomed my pity party, but I knew better than to sink into the pits of despair under my blanket. I sat down at my desk and opened my laptop. As it booted up, I crawled along the wall to the small hole in the wall I made. Inside was the flash drive.
The one with all the answers to all my questions. Most of them, at least.
“Time for some answers.” I mumbled to the empty room. After signing in to my laptop, I plugged in the flash drive. A loading bar popped up, almost immediately. With incredible sloth the green bar ticked further and further to one-hundred percent. My foot tapped erratically against the floor. My pulse screamed like a run-away train in my ear drums. My eyes couldn’t leave the small green bar. Moving. So. Slowly.
Ding!
A thousand files appeared on my desktop. It was overwhelming. I clicked on a random folder, which brought up a PDF. I scanned for relevant information. It was all useless information on human anatomy. I could have googled any of the information. Without looking further I clicked on another folder. I needed information on the Energy Corporation.
Building schematics? Next. Electric gloves? Next. New species of spider? Next. New drone? Next. ‘Latest Hunt’? Next. The Hunter? Next. Mutations? Next.
“Where is it?” I quietly shrieked to my computer. No. No. No. No. No. No. NO.
Everything began to blur together as I kept searching. Nothing else mattered. I risked everything to get this information. I had to find it. Where was it?
“Agents…” I mumbled. Shocker mentioned Agents, and there on the page read ‘All Known of the Roxxon Agents’. My heart skipped a beat. Had I finally found it? The door down stairs slammed, rattling my window.
“ELIZABETH GRACE ELROD! Get your ass down here, NOW!” Dad commanded with a shout from the lower floor. I glanced at the open page, knowing it might finally give me answers. I scrolled down a little reading the first line.
Roxxon Energy Corporation has-
“ELIZABETH! So help me God, if you do not come down here, there will be hell to pay!” Dad reminded, his fury once again shaking my world. Fearing what might happen next, I unplugged the flash drive and bolted down the stairs to face my father. As I emerged from the staircase I saw Dad glaring at me from the doorway. Gregory sat at the dining room table, laptop open.
“What were you thinking, Elliot?” Dad growled.
“I just thought-” I tried.
“No, you didn’t think, Elliot. You just did what you wanted. I understand you are hurting, but that does not give you an excuse to hurt your family. Peter and Tracy were worried sick about you, and what did you do? Run the fuck away to catch a bus home! We have been trying to help you this entire time, Elliot, because we love you and we are worried about you. You have to let us help you.” I was silent for a moment, unsure of how to respond.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I… I can’t accept help. I have to do this by myself.”
“What is so important that you can’t let your family in?”
“I… I… I can’t tell you.” I glanced at Gregory, but he wasn’t looking at me. He was studying the wall just past me.
“Yes. Yes you can tell me, bug. I won’t get mad at you. I just want you to be safe.”
“I’m fine.”
“Elliot..”
“I am. I’m fine.”
“Fine. Go to your room. I’ll call you when dinner is done.”
“I’m not hungry.”
“I’ll call you when dinner is done.”
“Okay, Dad.”

I dragged myself back upstairs and sat back down in front of my laptop. At this point, I had no more energy. There was no point to anything. My family felt betrayed, but they couldn’t see that I was doing this for them. For all of them. I was going to bring justice to all that had hurt Heather.
A single tear trailed down my cheek, as I looked at the file. The brightness of the white page lighting up my dark room. The perfectly printed text burned holes into my skull as I read it. The Agents were owned and controlled by a company called Roxxon.
Pulling up another tab, I googled the cooperation. Roxxon was a major contributor to the energy game. The company was run by Simon Krieger. The one who would most likely control the Agents. The ones who helped hurt Heather. The ones at war with Oscorp. He had tried shifting from oils and gases to renewable energy. His science industry had tripled in the past year. The mysterious Energy Corp. All laid out before me. This is what I had been looking for for so long. All that I was looking for.
So why was I still so empty? More tears leaked out of my eyes. Then a brutal sob tore through me. I screamed with sorrow, but bit down on my hand so no one could hear me. Blood dripped in my mouth, but I kept my mouth clamped down. It would be healed by tomorrow anyway, right? Because that’s the freak that I was. It’s why I started this whole journey, right? Because I was different. I had a purpose. Knowing that didn’t stop the flood of tears or make me feel anymore complete.
I was alone in my journey, and I had to make peace with that.
This was a job only Garden Spider could do.
No one else.
No matter how lonely I was.

Chapter Text

“I think we got off on the wrong foot. Hi! I’m Garden Spider, and you are?” I asked, as the Agent sent another volley of bullets towards my face. Screams from pedestrians followed the echoing shots, but I knew they were already far enough away. 

“Pissed. No, I get it. I get it, man.” I huffed, landing on the side of a building. The buzz from my spider-sense fading just slightly. “Do you mind me calling you a man? Don’t want to be misgendering you while I beat your ass.” The Agent didn’t give any indication that he heard. Reloading his weapon, he set his sights back onto me. 

“Geez.” I growled, dropping to the sidewalk as the building became riddled with bullets, no doubt intended for me. “You know, I strongly worded ‘No Thank You’ letter would have worked as well!” 

……

Let’s back up. 

I might not know this, but breaking into Roxxon was easier said than done. The perimeter was swarming with guards and scary looking lasers that did not match my skincare routine. The entrance was heavily monitored. Keycards, facial recognition, and passwords that were more complex than the quadratic formula. The whole nine and a half yards!

After staking out the place for a few nights, I decided I would need an insider view to break in. Only issue was my application had Oscorp written all over it. No way would they hire an ex-Oscorp intern, so I was back to square one. At least I thought I was until none other than one of Roxon’s own formidable Agents nearly got the drop on me during my nightly patrols. The only reason my bloody body wasn’t decorating the sidewalk was my cursed spider-sense. 

Back to the long awaited action.

……

The Agent, realizing guns were of little use, holstered the steaming barrel in favor of a very, very sharp knife that I definitely didn’t want an up close view of. Before I could explain that to him, he launched forward, blade aimed for my exposed stomach. 

I smacked his hand away, but he retaliated by punching me in the nose. Tears involuntarily sprang to my eyes, and something wet began to soak the front of my mask. 

Taking hold of his neck, I tried to knock him off balance. When I did, I managed a hip toss, but butchered it. We both landed on the ground while the glowing red knife skittered away.  

“That could have gone better.” I groaned, clambering to get to my feet. The Agent moved towards the blade the same moment I spotted it. We made a mad scramble for it. I was so wrapped up in getting the thing away from my enemy, I didn’t notice the static lighting up the side of my thigh. 

I did notice when the Agent plunged the blade right into that spot and twisted. Not completely sure if I screamed, but I do remember laughing. Something manic and unknown bubbled in my core. It helped drown out the pain burning its way through every vein in my body.

Elbowing the Agent in the ribs, I managed to get into a position to escape. Without another thought, I was swinging away on a strand of webbing. Red was staining the green padding that was supposed to protect me. It’s like Christmas I thought with delayed horror. 

As soon as I was far enough away, I dropped onto an empty rooftop. Fire licked its way along the wound. I had to bite down on my tongue to stop from crying out. My first instinct was to wing home and remove the knife in the safety of my bedroom. Something about not bleeding out as fast if you leave the object in place. But something blinking on the hilt made that plan stop in its tracks. 

“Shit,” I hissed. A tracker. Not wasting another moment, I ripped the blade out of my leg. A river of crimson poured out, and I briefly entertained the thought of laying out on the  roof to bleed out. Instead, I smashed the blinking thing to pieces with sheer fury and pain. And the help of a very conveniently placed brick. 

Sliding towards a patch of trash, I managed to pick out some sort of blanket I could use to tie around the gushing cut. Once it was tight enough, I hobbled to the edge. Another silver web attached, and I was sailing away. Time to go home. 

……

I opened the window with great care, leaving sticky prints on the pane. Oops.

Heaving myself through the opening, I dropped onto my bed, probably leaking blood onto my comforter. I pulled my mask off my face, and hid it under the blanket. One less thing to worry about. I glanced down at my orange, quickly becoming red, costume. Well, almost one less thing. 

Seeing that the coast was clear, I limped into the bathroom. After grabbing the med kit, I sunk into the bathtub, and turned on the shower head. Chilling water soaked me, washing the blood down the drain, but just as quickly as it was wiped away it came back. It was fascinating to watch. 

“Elliot?” Gregory called from the other side of the door. Shit. He was home? “Are you okay?” Another wave of laughter rippled through me, but it died in my throat when Greogry continued.
“I’m really worried about you.” he whined in the way that used to annoy me, but this time it pulled at my tortured heart-strings. Sighing in defeat, I told him to open the door. He inhaled sharply when he saw the alarming amount of red running down the drain, but all he said was:

“What do you need me to do?” I paused at his offer. I thought he was going to nag me for going out again, even though he knew I had been doing it for weeks. Maybe berate me for messing up in the first place. Use this as an example as to why I should stop. 

“Elliot?” he asked again, more worry creeping into his voice. 

“What?” I cleared my throat. “Right. Yeah. No, okay. I’m going to get out my suit, and then you’re going to throw it into the washer. Make sure to grab my mask on my bed.” I said, struggling out of the clingy, wet fabric. 

“Do you need an-” 

“I’m fine. Just go get my mask. Please.” He left without another word. When he got back I finally had the wretched thing off and in an unseemly pile on the floor. Thank goodness I’d decided on wearing shorts and a bra underneath. 

“Are those my boxers?” Gregory questioned, gesturing to the rainbow striped shorts I was sporting. 

“Not the time, Gregory.” I said, cupping my hand to gather water in it. I wiped the dried blood away from the aching gash. “Okay. Get me some-” A tube of antibiotics appeared next to my face.

“This?” I took it.

“Yeah, but then we’ve got to-” He shut off the water. 

“Next?” 

“Next you’ve got to wait a damn minute for me to put this stuff on my cut.” I scoffed playfully. Smiling, he sat on the counter, and prepared the gauze. I lathered the cream across the incision. Truth be told it wasn’t that bad. Sure it was still dribbling a little blood, and that might have been a bit of bone, but I was pretty sure the Agent missed the artery in my leg. 

“Score,” I muttered, relaxing a bit.

“What?” Gregory wondered, peering over at my wound. He made a small retching sound in the back of his throat.

“Looks like he missed the artery. Good thing too. Would have bleed out on the way home otherwise.” I answered. 

 “I think I just threw up in my mouth.” he groaned as his face paled.

“Before you lose your lunch, pass me the thread and needle in there, please. An antiseptic wipe too, if you don’t mind.” I politely asked. When the items were safely in my hands, Gregory turned to empty his stomach contents. 

“There, there, buddy.” I comforted, as I threaded the needle. “At least you don’t have to stitch yourself up, right?” 

“Stitch… myself…” he groaned weakly, looking up from the toilet bowl. 

“Mhm hmm,” I confirmed before plunging the steel into my thigh. “Make sure to flush the toilet in between hurls.” I said through gritted teeth. The swirl of the water with a wet smack into the bowl told me he followed my advice. Four stitches, three dry heaves, and seven f-bombs later, I was gently placing gauze over the irritated skin. 

“Do you do this every time?” he whispered, still cradling the toilet. I would have laughed if I hadn’t done the same thing the first time I saw the needle dip beneath my skin. 

“No,” I said, staying at the same volume. As if this were a secret. Which I suppose it was, considering the lengths I went through to make sure no one saw what I went through.

Holding up my left arm, I showed off the mostly healed trophy from last week. Without another word, I pointed to the still throbbing slice on my stomach. The black thread I used that night was still there. There was no point in showing off the cut Peter doctored up. It was little more than a scar now, but my fingers still ghosted over it. Gregory looked like he would be sick again.

“All of those… Elliot, it’s only been two months.” His voice trembled as if he was on the edge of crying.

“Don’t I know it.” I chuckled with no humor. 

“Why-”

“I have to. I have to do this, Gregory, so don’t try to convince me-”

“Why didn’t you ask for help sooner?” My speech died in my throat. He wasn’t going to try to stop me? 

“I-I didn’t think you’d help, or I thought you’d tell me to stop.” 

“Trust me, I want you to stop Elliot, but I know you won’t. I just want to help you as much as I can. I don’t want… I don’t want another close call, or worse to happen. Okay?” 

Not trusting my voice, I nodded, focusing on tying up my wound. 

“So… those are my boxers?” he interrogated, breaking the tense silence. A true laugh ripped through me.

“I mean do you want them back?” I giggled, gesturing to the large stain of crimson. 

“Ew. No. I’ll bet you planned this all so I would give them to you.”

“Ah yes. I’m a mastermind who got stabbed , so I could win a pair of rainbow boxers for free.” I rolled my eyes as Gregory scoffed at my sarcasm. 

“Those are my favorite, you know.” he mumbled, crossing his arms.

“They’re mine now.” 

“Only because you got blood all over them.”

“They got nicked too!” I pointed aggressively to a small tear in the edge of the fabric.

“Oh boo hoo.”

“Hey, man. You gave them to me because of a little blood.”

“ A little- Elliot, that’s like a half a pint of blood!” He threw his arms in the air. 

“Eh,” I shrugged. “I’ve had worse.” The light-hearted conversation drifted off after that statement. 

“I-in boxing.” I tried, “You know that one time Skylar-”

“Elliot,” Gregory interrupted, “Promise me, the next time this happens, you’ll get me.”

“Not sure how much help you’ll be.” I joked, waving my hand towards the toilet. 

“Seriously. You need people to help you. I promise I will be one of those people. I want to help you, Elliot.” he said, not breaking eye contact. “I’ll be like your not so powerful side-kick. Like.. um… Falcon! I’ll be your Falcon.”

“Um, Gregory.” I scoffed, “Falcon is, like, a bajillion times more powerful than me .” 

“I doubt that,” he mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully, “Isn’t he a normal human?”

“He trains with Captain America .”

“Still a normal human.” 

We bickered back and forth for the rest of the night, not stopping until Dad got home some time after eight. 

“Will you two stop fighting?” Dad groaned, throwing his bags onto the cluttered dining room table. “You two need to learn to work together.” 

Gregory hid his giggle behind a sip of water.

“Working on it, Dad.” I shrugged, shooting a smile at my brother. I sat straight up in my chair, an idea streaking across my mind like a comet.

“Everything okay, bug?” Dad asked, looking up from some mail he was examining. 

“Everything is fantastic, Dad.” I said, absently rubbing my aching leg. “Just had a thought.” A thought on how I was going to break into Roxxon Energy Corporation without dying. Best idea since becoming a sliced spider . I thought, taking a sip of my drink.

Time for some socializing.